Yes, Google was “listening” to you from your cell phone, and now it’s going to pay for it: $68 million
A class action settlement in California puts a price on the assistant’s “false activations,” those times when the cell phone thinks it hears the command and records too much.
In your pocket, your phone seems to be asleep. The screen is off, and the microphone is, in theory, waiting obediently for your keyword. The problem starts when the machine makes a mistake, interprets a fragment of conversation as the standard “Hey Google,” and, without asking anyone’s permission, turns a domestic moment into a file that no longer belongs entirely to the person who uttered it.
Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle a class action lawsuit in the United States that accused its voice assistant of recording and disseminating private conversations without consent. The preliminary agreement was filed in federal court in San Jose, California, and still needs approval from Judge Beth Labson Freeman.
The complaint revolves around a very specific idea, but one with delicate consequences. Google Assistant is designed to be activated by keywords. However, the lawsuit alleges that, on occasion, the system was activated by mistake (so-called “false accepts”) and ended up recording fragments of conversations. From there, the complainants argued that these recordings were used or shared improperly, linking them to the logic of targeted advertising.
Google denies any wrongdoing but has opted for the settlement to avoid the cost, risk, and uncertainty of further litigation. According to court documents cited in the case report, the company declined to make any further public comments after the agreement was announced.
Who is included, how much will be distributed, and what remains to be decided
The agreement would cover people who purchased Google devices or who were exposed to these “false activations” since May 18, 2016, always within the parameters set by the court. At the same time, the plaintiffs’ attorneys could request up to one-third of the total fund in fees, which would amount to approximately $22.7 million.
Related stories
In the absence of definitive judicial validation, some public estimates of individual compensation place payments in ranges that would, depending on the type of alleged damage, range from $2 to $10 in certain cases, and from $18 to $56 for purchasers of certain devices associated with Assistant accounts. That fine print, as is almost always the case, will ultimately determine the user’s real sense of “redress.”
Follow MeriStation USA on X (formerly known as Twitter). Your video game and entertainment website for all the news, updates, and breaking news from the world of video games, movies, series, manga, and anime. Previews, reviews, interviews, trailers, gameplay, podcasts and more! Follow us now!
Complete your personal details to comment