Google will settle its Assistant spying lawsuit for $68 million

Google could owe you some money, now that it’s moving to settle a class-action lawsuit over how it handles recordings captured when its devices were activated with something other than Google Assistant’s actual trigger word, “Ok Google.” German port VRT NWS2019 report This case unfolded, and last Friday’s court filings say the proposed settlement number is $68 million, as previously reported by Reuters.

the lawsuit It accuses Google of “unlawfully and intentionally recording individuals’ confidential communications without their consent,” during these “false admissions.” VRT NWS Reported that human workers Who analyzed the assistant’s audio clips She recalled hearing personal information and private conversations in cases where Google Assistant was triggered inadvertently or by someone who wasn’t supposed to use it, such as children.

The plaintiffs’ accusations were Also included is a claim That “information derived from these recordings was wrongly transferred to third parties for targeted advertising and other purposes,” is something Google has denied, and in the proposed settlement, it denies any allegations of wrongdoing.

If the settlement is approved, it will be paid to people whose Google accounts have been associated with at least one device with Google Assistant pre-installed since 2016, including Pixel phones, Google Home devices, Google smart speakers and displays, the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. Customers who purchase one of these devices will be eligible for a refund compensation ranging from $18 to $56. Anyone who uses Google Assistant or lives in a household with an Assistant device that illegally records their conversations will also be eligible for compensation ranging from $2 to $10.