Google agrees to $68M settlement over recording users without consent
27 Jan 2026

Google has agreed to pay $68 million in a class-action lawsuit over its voice-activated assistant, Google Assistant.

The complaint alleged that the tech giant's tool spied on smartphone users without their consent, violating their privacy rights.

The preliminary settlement was filed in a federal court in San Jose, California, and is pending approval from US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman.

Allegations of unauthorized recording and data sharing
Accusations

The lawsuit accused Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet, of illegally recording and sharing private conversations triggered by its assistant for targeted advertising.

The plaintiffs claimed that the company engaged in "unlawful and intentional recording of individuals' confidential communications without their consent," during these "false accepts."

They further alleged that information from these recordings was wrongfully sent to third parties for targeted ads and other purposes.

Google's response to the allegations
Denial and settlement

Google has denied all allegations of wrongdoing in the case. However, it decided to settle the lawsuit to avoid potential risks, costs, and uncertainties associated with litigation.

The settlement applies to individuals who purchased Google devices or experienced false accepts since May 18, 2016.

Lawyers for plaintiffs may request up to one-third of the settlement fund—approximately $22.7 million—for legal fees.

Settlement eligibility and potential payouts
Payout details

If approved, the settlement will be distributed among those whose Google accounts were linked to a device with Google Assistant pre-installed since 2016.

This includes Pixel phones, Google Home devices, smart speakers and displays like Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

Customers who bought one of these devices will qualify for a recovery payout ranging between $18-$56.

Anyone who used or lived with an Assistant device that illegally recorded their conversations will also qualify for a payout between $2-$10.