Photo Credit; Getty Images
In a significant payout for digital privacy, Google is set to pay $68 million to settle claims that it used "accidental" audio recordings for commercial gain. The lawsuit centered on allegations that Google Assistant captured private discussions after being triggered by mistake, subsequently funneling that data to marketers. Users argued that this constituted a major breach of trust, turning their personal devices into tools for unauthorized corporate surveillance and targeted ad placement.
But in a filing seeking to settle the case, google denied wrongdoing and said it was seeking to avoid litigation.
Google Assistant is designed to wait in standby mode until it hears a particular phrase - typically "Hey Google" - which activates it. The phone then records what it hears and sends the recording to Google's servers where it can be analysed. People use it for various reasons, ranging from simple questions about the weather to interacting with smart devices like lights and televisions.
The firm says it does not send audio anywhere while it is in standby mode. But the lawsuit claimed Google Assistant would sometimes turn on by mistake - the phone thinking someone had said its activation phrase when they had not - and recorded conversations intended to be private.
They alleged the recordings were then sent to advertisers for the purpose of creating targeted advertising.
The proposed settlement was filed on Friday in a California federal court, and requires approval by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.
The claim has been brought as a class action lawsuit rather than an individual case - meaning if it is approved, the money will be paid out across many different claimants.
Those eligible for a payout will have owned Google devices dating back to May 2016. But lawyers for the plaintiffs may ask for up to one-third of the settlement - amounting to about $22m in legal fees.
It follows a similar case in January where Apple agreed to pay $95m to settle a case alleging some of its devices were listening to people through its voice-activated assistant Siri without their permission.
