Google is preparing to pay $68 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging that it secretly recorded private conversations on Android users’ phones.
The lawsuit centers on Google Assistant, a virtual assistant available on many Android devices.
Plaintiffs allege the assistant recorded private conversations after being inadvertently activated and that the recordings were shared with advertisers to support targeted advertising.
Google Assistant is designed to remain in standby mode until it detects an activation phrase such as “Hey Google.”
Once activated, the device records audio and sends it to Google servers for processing.
Google states that no audio is sent while the assistant remains in standby mode.
The lawsuit claims the assistant sometimes activates unintentionally when it mistakenly interprets background speech as its trigger phrase, resulting in recordings of conversations intended to be private.
The proposed settlement was filed Friday in a California federal court and requires approval from US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman, reports Reuters.
In a filing seeking to resolve the case, Google denies wrongdoing and says it agrees to the settlement to avoid continued litigation.
The case is brought as a class action, meaning payments would be distributed among eligible claimants who owned Google devices dating back to May 2016.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys may seek up to one-third of the settlement, or roughly $22 million, in legal fees.
The agreement follows a similar case earlier this year in which Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle allegations related to its Siri voice assistant, while also denying wrongdoing.
Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram
Don’t Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox
Check Price Action
Surf The Daily Hodl Mix
[adinserter block=”5″]
 
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.
Generated Image: Midjourney
The post Google Agrees To Pay $68,000,000 Settlement To Customers After Being Accused of Listening to Private Conversations on Android Phones appeared first on The Daily Hodl.
