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Google to Settle Claims of Improper Voice Data Collection for $68 Million

By  |  January 26, 2026

Google has agreed to pay $68 million to resolve a class action lawsuit alleging that its voice-activated assistant improperly recorded private conversations and shared the data for advertising purposes, according to Reuters.

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    The proposed settlement was filed late Friday in federal court in San Jose, California, and still requires approval from U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman. The case centers on claims that Google Assistant, a product of Google’s parent company Alphabet, captured users’ speech without permission when the software mistakenly activated, per Reuters.

    Google Assistant is designed to respond only when it detects specific trigger phrases such as “Hey Google” or “Okay Google.” However, the lawsuit alleges that the system sometimes misinterpreted ordinary speech as those commands, a problem known as “false accepts.” According to Reuters, users said these accidental activations led to recordings being collected and later used to deliver targeted advertisements.

    Plaintiffs argued that the recordings were then shared or analyzed without proper consent, violating privacy rights. Google denied any wrongdoing but chose to settle to avoid the risks and expense of prolonged litigation, according to court filings cited by Reuters. The company, based in Mountain View, California, declined to comment on the agreement on Monday.

    Related: US Judge Allows Consumer Antitrust Case Against Google to Move Forward

    The settlement would apply to individuals who purchased Google devices or experienced these alleged false activations dating back to May 18, 2016, according to Reuters. If approved, the fund will be distributed among eligible users, though the exact payout per person has not yet been determined.

    Attorneys representing the plaintiffs may request up to one-third of the settlement amount—about $22.7 million—to cover legal fees and costs, per Reuters.

    The agreement follows a similar case involving Apple. In December 2024, Apple reached a $95 million settlement with smartphone users over comparable allegations involving its voice assistant technology, according to Reuters.

    While Google maintains that its technology was not used inappropriately, the settlement marks another major step in the ongoing debate over digital privacy and the role of voice-activated devices in everyday life.

    Source: Reuters