Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle claims that its voice assistant unlawfully intercepted and recorded users’ confidential communications without consent, according to Reuters. The class-action lawsuit alleged that Google used the recorded information for targeted advertising and other purposes without authorization.
The case revolved around the issue of ‘false accepts,’ where Google Assistant reportedly recorded users’ conversations even without a wake word trigger. Google did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, but emphasized the importance of user privacy and consent in voice assistant technology.
This settlement highlights the growing concern over privacy in voice-activated devices. In a similar incident, Apple previously settled a $95 million lawsuit over allegations that Siri had recorded conversations without user initiation.
Tech companies continue to face legal challenges regarding privacy practices. Last year, Google paid $1.4 billion to Texas to resolve lawsuits related to data privacy violations. These cases underscore the need for stringent privacy regulations and transparency in how tech companies handle user data.
Source: TechCrunch