$68M Google Assistant Settlement Ends Class Action Lawsuit Claiming Devices Start Recording Without User Activation

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Google has agreed to a $68,000,000 settlement to wrap up a class action lawsuit alleging that devices enabled with Google Assistant have, unbeknownst to users, covertly recorded their surroundings and transmitted private communications to Google’s servers without the need to press a button or say a “hot word” to activate the listening feature.

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The Google Assistant class action settlement is pending preliminary approval, which is set to be determined by the court at a hearing on March 19, 2026. According to the proposed agreement, the $68 million Google Assistant settlement will cover two classes of consumers:

• -All consumers who purchased a Google-Made device in the United States between May 16, 2016 and the date of preliminary approval (the “Purchaser Class”); and
• -All consumers who are users of Google Assistant or were a member of a user’s household and whose communications were recorded or otherwise obtained by Google and potentially disclosed to a third-party between May 16, 2016 and the date of preliminary approval (the “Privacy Class”).

The court-approved website for the Google Assistant class action settlement can be found at GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com.

According to settlement documents, Google Assistant settlement class members who submit a timely, valid claim form are eligible to receive a one-time, pro-rated cash payment from the settlement fund after all administrative expenses, attorneys’ fees, and lead plaintiff service awards have been paid.

The proposed settlement agreement reports that the final amount of each class member’s payment will be determined by a points system:

• -Members of the Purchaser Class who file a claim form are eligible to receive four points for each Google-made device they purchased, up to three devices, for a maximum of 12 points;.
• -Members of the Privacy Class who file a claim form will be assigned a maximum claim value of one point; and
• -Members of both the Purchaser Class and the Privacy Class who file a claim form are eligible to receive four points for up to three Google-made devices and one point for being a Privacy Class member, for a maximum of 13 points.

It is currently unknown how much each settlement class member will receive from the Google Assistant settlement, court documents note.

ClassAction.org will update this page with more information on how to submit a Google Assistant settlement claim form as it becomes available.

Should the proposed Google Assistant settlement receive preliminary approval from the court, class members cannot expect to receive benefits until final approval is granted to the settlement, which will be determined at a hearing on a later date.

The Google Assistant class action lawsuit alleged that Google Assistant and Google Assistant-enabled devices—including Google Home speakers, Google Nest Hub smart displays, and Google Pixel smartphones—surreptitiously recorded users’ private conversations when no activation words, such as “Hey Google,” were spoken to turn on the feature. The case stipulated that Google Assistant devices were susceptible to “false accepts,” wherein the device misunderstood a verbal cue and activated, which allegedly resulted in the recording of private audio data that was then transmitted to Google’s servers.

Did you know that some class action settlements require no proof to submit a claim? Check out the latest class action settlements.