Google Assistant privacy case settlement

Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a lawsuit claiming its Google Assistant spied on smartphone users, violating their privacy. The preliminary class action settlement was filed late Friday in San Jose federal court and needs approval from U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.

Google Assistant responds to hot words like "Hey Google" or "Okay Google," but sometimes it misheard conversations as hot words, called false accepts. Users complained about receiving targeted ads based on these mistaken recordings. The settlement covers people who bought Google devices or experienced false accepts since May 18, 2016.

Google denied any wrongdoing but opted to settle to avoid litigation costs, time, and uncertainty. Plaintiff lawyers may claim up to $22.7 million for legal fees. Google, based in Mountain View, California, declined to comment on the matter.