Google Settles Lawsuit for $68 Million Over Alleged Secret Recordings

Google has agreed to a $68 million (£51 million) settlement in a lawsuit that alleged the company secretly recorded private conversations through user phones. Users claimed that Google Assistant, a virtual assistant on many Android devices, inadvertently activated and recorded private conversations.

Allegations and Google's Stance

The lawsuit alleged that these recordings were then shared with advertisers to facilitate targeted advertising.

Google, in a filing seeking to settle the case, denied any wrongdoing but stated the settlement was intended to avoid further litigation.

How Google Assistant Functions

Google Assistant is designed to remain in standby mode until it detects a specific activation phrase, typically "Hey Google." Once activated, the device records audio and transmits it to Google's servers for analysis.

The company maintains that no audio is sent to its servers while the assistant is in standby mode.

Claims of Accidental Activation

Conversely, the lawsuit asserted that Google Assistant would sometimes activate erroneously, interpreting other sounds as the activation phrase.

This allegedly led to the recording of private conversations, which were then supposedly transmitted to advertisers for targeted advertising purposes.