Google agrees to $68M settlement over recording users without consent
Google will pay $68 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging its Assistant illegally recorded users' conversations.Summary
Google has agreed to a $68 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit accusing its Google Assistant of recording users' private conversations without their consent. The lawsuit alleged that Google illegally recorded and shared confidential communications triggered by the assistant, using the data for targeted advertising. While Google denies any wrongdoing, the company opted to settle to avoid the costs and uncertainties of a trial. The settlement, filed in a California federal court, requires approval from Judge Beth Labson Freeman and applies to individuals who purchased Google devices with Google Assistant pre-installed since May 18, 2016, including Pixel phones and Google Home devices. Eligible customers could receive payouts ranging from $2 to $56, depending on their level of impact. Legal fees for the plaintiffs' lawyers could reach approximately $22.7 million.
(Source：Newsbytes)