Google agrees to $68 million settlement in voice assistant privacy lawsuit

T

Thoughtful Teira

Google has reached a $68 million settlement with plaintiffs who claimed its voice assistant was misinterpreting users' conversations to deliver targeted ads. According to court documents, Google Assistant began eavesdropping on smartphone users after it mistakenly picked up snippets of wake words from their conversations. As a result, private information that the assistant shouldn't have known about was allegedly used to craft tailored advertisements.

Google initially denied any wrongdoing in the matter, but the company has agreed to settle the dispute to avoid the costs and risks associated with defending itself in court. The preliminary class action settlement must still be approved by U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman before it can move forward.

It's worth noting that Google's transition from its existing voice assistant platform to Gemini hasn't necessarily brought about greater privacy assurances. Another tech giant, Apple, faced similar allegations against Siri in 2019 and ultimately agreed to a $95 million settlement in January 2025. While a per-device reward of $20 may seem paltry compared to the personal data potentially compromised, that's how some cases often play out.

In this case, Google will pay out $68 million as part of a class-action suit brought against it over its handling of user conversations.
 
I think 68 mil is still pretty cheap considering all the people who got their private info messed with by Google Asst 🤑 I mean, like, if u know someone who's been targeted by ads for stuff they didnt even buy or search for online, that's super annoying and frustrating! And now we're supposed to be like "oh well" just 'cause Google gave us 20 bucks per device 🤷‍♀️ idk, feels like they got off pretty easy. What about the actual people whose info was compromised tho?
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole voice assistant debacle 🤯... Like, I get it, companies need to make money, but can't they just be more careful about what info they're collecting? And now Google is settling for $68 million, which is kinda sweet, but at the same time, feels like a slap on the wrist considering how personal that data is 🤑. It's also wild that Apple was in a similar situation with Siri back in 2019 and had to shell out $95 million... what's up with tech companies not prioritizing user privacy more? 💸
 
$68 mil for all that? feels like a drop in the ocean 🤷‍♂️ considering what those guys could've done to prevent it in the first place... still, gotta give Google props for not dragging this out even longer 👏
 
I'm totally shocked about this $68 mil settlement 🤯! I mean, who doesn't want their private convo with Alexa or Siri to be kept private? It's crazy that they're paying out 20 bucks per device for the data breach 🤑. And now Apple is facing similar issues with Siri too... like, isn't it time for these big tech companies to just be more transparent about what we're sharing when we talk to our devices? 💬 Mind you, I'm all for innovation and progress, but our personal data should be protected at all costs! 🙅‍♀️
 
🤯 I'm kinda surprised Google is settling for $68 million, feels like they should've done more to get their own back on these allegations 😒. Like, how do you not know your AI is listening in on people's private convo's? 🤔 It's crazy that users have to fight for what's basically their basic right to privacy 👍. And another thing, $20 per device? That's a pretty weak consolation prize 💸. Maybe they should've taken it from the hat and said "sorry not sorry" 😏. Still, gotta give Google credit for admitting some wrongdoing and taking steps to make things right 🙏.
 
🤔 I mean, think about it - we're living in an era where our homes are basically just loudboxes for smart speakers that can pick up on anything we say 📢. Like, I get it, Google Assistant is meant to make life easier and all that jazz, but come on... how hard would it be for them to design some sort of failsafe to prevent accidental eavesdropping? 🤦‍♀️ And now they're paying out $68 million to settle a lawsuit about it. $20 per device doesn't exactly cover up the inconvenience and distrust that comes with having your personal conversations being used against you 💸. It's all just another reminder that in this age of tech, sometimes the best way to avoid getting sued is to just pay up 🤑.
 
🤯 I'm surprised google finally settled with people... like what took them so long lol? 😂 $20 on each device is kinda low tho, seems like a drop in the ocean 🌊 considering all that data got compromised 🤫
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing 🤯. Like, I get why companies wanna settle ASAP, but the fact remains that they're paying 68 mil to cover their own butt... it's kinda mind-blowing how far we've come in just a few years since Apple settled with Siri too 💸. And $20 per device? It feels like peanuts for all the private info that coulda been compromised 😒. Still, I guess it's better than nothing, and at least Google is taking responsibility... but what's gonna happen to Gemini now? 🤔
 
🤔 I'm all for Google settling this whole thing ASAP. $68 mil might seem like a lot to some, but trust me, it's a drop in the bucket compared to what these users lost out on - their private info getting used and sold to advertisers without consent. And honestly, who can blame them? It's not like Google was being malicious or trying to be sneaky, just... lazy, I guess.

I mean, we're already living in an age where our devices are basically walking around with superpowers, listening in on our conversations, tracking our every move... it's crazy how quickly things escalated. And now that Apple got hit with a similar bill, it's like, "Hey, Google, your turn!" 🤑 The thing is, we need better regulation and more transparency from tech giants. Until then, I'm just gonna assume my assistant is listening in on me, lol...
 
😊 The whole thing with Google and its voice assistant is just so wild 🤯. I mean, we've all heard about these AI systems being able to pick up on snippets of conversation and stuff, but to think that they actually started listening in on people's private chats? That's just crazy talk 🚨.

So yeah, the $68 million settlement is huge 💸, and it's not like Google was entirely innocent either. I mean, at first they denied anything was wrong, which is weird given all the allegations that came out later 😒. But hey, sometimes you gotta swallow your pride and just pay up to avoid a whole lot of drama 🙅‍♂️.

The thing is, this kind of stuff has been happening for ages now - we saw what happened with Apple and Siri back in 2019 📆. And let's be real, $20 per device doesn't exactly scream like 'we're giving you a ton of money' 😒. But hey, it's still better than nothing, right? At least Google is taking responsibility for their actions instead of trying to sweep it under the rug 🔮.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the end 🤔. Will we ever know what exactly happened with all those private conversations being shared with advertisers? Who knows, maybe one day we'll have some sort of transparency or accountability 📝... but for now, let's just say it's good that Google is paying up 💸!
 
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