Google has reached a provisional agreement to pay $68 million to settle a long-running class-action lawsuit alleging that its voice-activated assistant unlawfully recorded private conversations without users’ consent.
The preliminary settlement was filed late on Friday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California and seeks to resolve claims that Google’s AI-powered Google Assistant was frequently activated unintentionally, capturing sensitive audio that was later used to deliver targeted advertising.
The lawsuit, first filed in July 2019, centred on what plaintiffs described as “false acceptances”. While Google Assistant is designed to remain inactive until it detects specific wake words such as “Hey Google” or “OK Google”, the claim alleged that the software often mistook background noise or unrelated speech for those commands.
According to the complaint, these accidental activations resulted in private conversations being recorded and transmitted to Google’s servers without users knowingly engaging the assistant. Plaintiffs further alleged that they later received highly specific advertisements linked to topics discussed in private, suggesting the recordings were used to build consumer profiles or shared with third parties. The case also raised concerns that snippets of audio were listened to by Google employees or contractors to help train the AI system.
Despite agreeing to the settlement, Google has denied any wrongdoing. In court filings, the Mountain View-based company said it had always been transparent about the operation of its voice technology and maintained that it “equally believed in the strength of its defenses.”
Company representatives said the decision to settle was taken to avoid the “risk, expense, and uncertainty” of a prolonged jury trial.
“We are committed to protecting our users’ privacy while providing a helpful assistant experience,” a spokesperson said in earlier discussions about the case, although the company declined to comment directly following the filing on Friday.
The settlement applies to a broad class of consumers. Individuals who purchased or used Google Assistant-enabled devices including Pixel smartphones, Nest smart speakers, laptops and Android-compatible wireless headphones from May 18, 2016 onwards may be eligible to receive compensation.
Legal experts note that while the overall settlement figure is substantial, individual payouts are likely to be modest. After legal fees and administrative costs, claimants could receive between $10 and $40, depending on how many valid claims are submitted.
The agreement is the latest in a series of high-profile privacy cases involving major technology companies. Earlier this month, on January 3, 2026, Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement over similar allegations relating to its Siri voice assistant. Both cases involved claims that devices were effectively “listening in” due to faulty activation mechanisms.
Google has also faced other significant privacy-related settlements in recent years. In 2024, the company agreed to delete billions of data records to resolve litigation over tracking in its “Incognito” browsing mode. Last year, it paid $1.4 billion to the state of Texas over claims involving the unauthorised collection of biometric and tracking data.
The settlement comes at a sensitive moment for Google as it transitions from the traditional Google Assistant to its newer generative AI platform, Gemini. While the company is promoting Gemini as a more advanced and capable system, the lawsuit highlights ongoing legal and ethical concerns surrounding always-on AI technologies.
The agreement now awaits final approval from Judge Beth Labson Freeman. If approved, notices will be issued to millions of Google account holders outlining how to submit a claim.
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