Google to Settle Lawsuit Alleging It Recorded Private Conversations for $68 Million
Google has agreed to settle a lawsuit for $68 million, which alleged that its Assistant app was accidentally activating on devices, recording private conversations, and sharing these recordings with advertisers.
Tech giant Google plans to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging its virtual assistant recorded users' private conversations without permission by paying $68 million (approximately £51 million). The settlement proposal has been submitted to a federal court in California and is subject to the judge's approval.
Background of the Case and Allegations
The plaintiffs alleged that Google Assistant, the virtual assistant found on many Android devices, was accidentally activated even when activation words like 'Hey Google' were not spoken. According to the claim, in such cases, the device recorded private conversations and sent the recordings to Google's servers. The plaintiffs claimed this audio data was later shared with advertisers for the purpose of showing targeted ads to users.
Google's Position and Similar Lawsuits
Google, in the settlement documents submitted to the court, denied any wrongdoing and stated that the settlement was reached to avoid prolonged litigation. The company maintains that Google Assistant does not send audio data while in standby mode.
This lawsuit is not the first to center on privacy concerns regarding voice-activated assistants from tech companies. Similarly, in January, Apple settled a lawsuit alleging its Siri assistant listened without permission for $95 million. Apple also did not admit any wrongdoing in that case.
The responsibilities of tech giants regarding user privacy and data security are increasingly under the scrutiny of courts and regulatory bodies. For example, in a landmark lawsuit alleging social media platform design leads to addiction, tech giants are appearing in court.
Settlement Details and Next Steps
If the proposed settlement is approved, compensation payments will be distributed to users who owned a Google device from May 2016 onwards and file a claim. It is noted that the plaintiffs' attorneys may request up to one-third of the settlement amount, approximately $22 million, in legal fees.
With the advancement of artificial intelligence and data collection technologies, ethical and legal boundaries are being debated anew. Issues such as AI-generated deepfake content or failures in child safety highlight the challenges facing the industry. These developments are also leading to close scrutiny of the personal and political choices of tech leaders; events like the political donation by OpenAI's chairman are among examples of this interest.
