Google has agreed to pay up to $68 million as part of a settlement in a class-action lawsuit alleging that its voice assistant misheard user conversations and delivered targeted ads based on private information. According to court documents, Google Assistant began eavesdropping on users after it mistakenly picked up phrases similar to its wake words, allowing the company to collect sensitive data without users' knowledge or consent.
Google denied wrongdoing in the suit, but ultimately agreed to settle rather than face the costs and uncertainty of a lengthy litigation process. The preliminary settlement was filed with U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman's court on Friday, pending approval.
This is not the first time Google has faced allegations related to its voice assistant's eavesdropping capabilities. In 2023, the company began phasing out its Google Assistant platform in favor of Gemini, a new AI chatbot. However, concerns about data privacy remain, as many experts question whether even newer, supposedly more secure tools can be trusted.
In fact, Apple faced similar allegations with its Siri voice assistant just two years ago, ultimately settling for $95 million in January 2025. While some critics have questioned the fairness of the settlement amount – $20 per device – others argue that it's a necessary step to address concerns about data collection and misuse by these powerful tech companies.
Google denied wrongdoing in the suit, but ultimately agreed to settle rather than face the costs and uncertainty of a lengthy litigation process. The preliminary settlement was filed with U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman's court on Friday, pending approval.
This is not the first time Google has faced allegations related to its voice assistant's eavesdropping capabilities. In 2023, the company began phasing out its Google Assistant platform in favor of Gemini, a new AI chatbot. However, concerns about data privacy remain, as many experts question whether even newer, supposedly more secure tools can be trusted.
In fact, Apple faced similar allegations with its Siri voice assistant just two years ago, ultimately settling for $95 million in January 2025. While some critics have questioned the fairness of the settlement amount – $20 per device – others argue that it's a necessary step to address concerns about data collection and misuse by these powerful tech companies.
! They're basically saying that their AI voice assistant was like, super sneaky and started listening in on people's private conversations without even asking permission 
. And now they have to pay out $68 million to the people who were affected? That's like, a lot of money 
.
. And what's crazy is that Apple had to do the same thing with Siri two years ago! 
Do we ever get to see real change when these big companies try to settle lawsuits?
. like, who wouldn't want their personal conversations being listened in on without consent? it's not like Google (or Apple) are just "concerned" citizens looking out for us, they're corporations making bank off our data 
. I mean, what's next? are we just gonna start trusting these AI chatbots like they're our BFFs or something? no thanks 
.
We need stricter regulations on these companies' data collection practices ASAP 
.
and then act surprised when people get upset.
... but it feels like they're only settling because they can't win in court 
. And $20 per device? That's like, peanuts for all the people whose personal info got shared without their consent 
. It's like, I get that companies need to make money, but at what cost? Our privacy should be worth more than a few bucks 
. And what's next? Are we gonna start seeing ads based on our thoughts or something? 
That would be straight outta sci-fi horror 
.
. I mean, if you can't trust your own voice assistant, what's next? A constant reminder that our every move is being watched and analyzed? 
The more these big corporations 'settle', the more they're telling us that we need them more than we need control over our own data 
. It's a vicious cycle, man...
I gotta say, this Google Assistant whole thing is pretty wild. Like, who wants their private conversations being misheard and used for ads? It just seems so... creepy 
. And let's be real, this just shows that tech companies have a long way to go in terms of prioritizing user safety over profits 
.
. But honestly, shouldn't tech companies be more transparent about what they're doing with our data? It's like, we trust you guys to keep our info private... not so much anymore 
. I mean, who hasn't had that creepy feeling when you're like "hey google" but your assistant starts spouting out ads based on what you said in the bathroom 
. it's wild how much data these companies can collect and still think they're doing us a favor 
. time for these tech giants to step up their data protection game 
this is so messed up, i mean who gives consent for google or any other company to listen in on ur conversations? they're basically selling ur private info 2 the highest bidder 
It's like they're playing some kind of twisted game where their algorithms are the only ones that matter. And now we're supposed to just chill with $20 per device because... why? 
And $20 per device for a settlement? Like, that's not enough to cover the cost of a decent earplug 
. Apple got hit hard for their Siri debacle, but at least they're paying up 