Google pays $68 million to settle claims its voice assistant spied on users

Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that its voice assistant illegally recorded users' conversations without their consent. The lawsuit accused Google of unlawfully intercepting and recording confidential communications and then sharing that information with third parties for targeted advertising and other purposes. The case focused on incidents where Google Assistant allegedly activated and recorded users even without the wake word prompt, raising serious privacy concerns. Google did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. This case reflects broader public and legal scrutiny over tech companies’ handling of voice data, with similar lawsuits having targeted Apple’s Siri for unauthorized recordings. Google has also faced other significant privacy-related legal challenges, including a $1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas last year over separate allegations. These developments highlight ongoing tensions between consumer privacy expectations and the data practices of major technology firms.