Google settles privacy lawsuit for $68m over voice assistant

H

Homely Hedgehog

Google has agreed to pay out $68 million as part of a preliminary class-action settlement in a lawsuit alleging that its voice assistant was spying on smartphone users without their consent. The lawsuit claims that Google Assistant's failure to recognize "hot words" such as "Hey Google" or "OK Google" resulted in the illicit recording and sharing of private conversations, which were then used to send targeted advertising.

The settlement is centered around what are known as "false accepts," where Google Assistant misinterprets users' verbal cues as triggering a response. This has led to some smartphone owners receiving unwanted ads after their device detected phrases that were not intended as commands for the assistant.

Google has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, but opted to settle rather than face the uncertainty and costs associated with going to trial. The agreement applies to individuals who purchased Google devices or experienced false accepts since May 2016, according to court documents. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs may still seek a portion of the settlement fund, potentially up to $22 million, to cover their own legal fees.

This latest move follows a similar settlement reached by Apple last year, which saw the company pay out $95 million in connection with a class-action lawsuit alleging that its virtual assistant was also violating users' privacy.
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole Google Assistant thing 🤯... I mean, who knew our smartphones were secretly listening to us and sharing our convoz with advertisers? 📞😱 It's like something straight outta a spy movie or something! Anyway, $68 million is a pretty big chunk of change, but I guess it's better late than never, right? 🤑 I'm still not sure why Google didn't just fix this issue in the first place instead of getting sued into oblivion. And what's with all these settlements? It feels like everyone's trying to make amends for something... even Apple got in on the action last year! 💸
 
OMG, I'm so glad Google is finally taking responsibility for this whole voice assistant thing 🙌🏼! Like, we all knew something was fishy when it came to our private conversations being shared with advertisers 😱. But seriously, $68 million is a pretty big chunk of change, and I hope it's gonna bring some relief to the people who were affected by this whole ordeal 😊.

I mean, tech companies are always pushing for innovation and progress, but sometimes that means forgetting about user safety 🤦‍♀️. It's not Google's fault (or so they claim 😉), but still, it's good that they're taking steps to make things right.

And let's be real, this is just another reminder of how important it is to read those tiny print agreements and understand what you're agreeing to when you set up your devices 📚💻. Just saying 🙄.
 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this one 🤔. So Google is saying it didn't spy on us, but it's paying $68 million to prove otherwise? That's a pretty big payout if you ask me 💸. I mean, I get that misinterpreting "hot words" can be frustrating, but shouldn't Google have thought of this one themselves and fixed the issue before we started talking about lawsuits? 🤷‍♂️

And what's up with the whole "opted to settle rather than face trial" thing? Is that just a fancy way of saying they didn't want to get their hands dirty? 😏 Anyway, I guess it's good for us consumers that someone is holding Google accountable, but I'm still waiting for some concrete evidence on how this happened in the first place 📝. Where are the details? What exactly did Google do wrong here? 💻
 
I'm not surprised Google decided to settle this lawsuit 🤔. The whole thing sounds pretty shady - I mean, who wants their private conversations being recorded and used for targeted ads? 😬 It's like the company is profiting off people's personal info without them even realizing it.

The fact that they denied any wrongdoing but still opted to pay out a massive sum of money suggests that maybe they didn't want to risk losing in court 🤑. I get that, but it's still pretty frustrating for users who might have fallen victim to this false accepts nonsense.

It's interesting to note that Apple got away with $95 million last year, so Google really had to scramble to settle this one quickly 💸. Either way, I hope the settlement fund is used to compensate people fairly and not just to cover lawyers' fees 🤷‍♂️.
 
"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" 🤯😒 This is just getting ridiculous... how many times do we need to see corporations get caught spying on us before they learn? I mean, I'm all for innovation and tech advancements but come on! The fact that Google had to settle this massive lawsuit because their own AI couldn't even recognize basic phrases like "Hey Google" makes me wonder what else is going on behind the scenes. It's time for these companies to step up their game when it comes to user safety and transparency... 👊
 
omg i'm like so relieved that google is settling this lawsuit lol i mean can u even imagine having ads for your birthday party or something pop up on ur phone bc you were just talkin to Siri or whatever about how much u hate ur bday cake 🍰😒 and then they'd be all like "hey we know u said u hated it btw here's a coupon for a different one" 🤯 anyway i feel bad for ppl who had this happen 2 them bc their privacys been trampled on lol google should've done better, tbh. i mean i use google assistant all the time and i never really thought about how they were listenin to me but now that u mention it, it's kinda creepy 🤷‍♀️
 
OMG, $68 mil is like, crazy for a mistake 🤯 Google should've just implemented better security measures from the start, you know? I mean, come on, it's not rocket science to prevent misinterpreting "hot words". The fact that they settled instead of going through with the trial is pretty interesting. I guess they didn't want to risk the outcome in court 🤔.

It's also kinda weird that Apple had a similar issue last year and settled for $95 mil 🤑. You'd think companies would learn from each other's mistakes, but apparently not. Anyway, it's good to see some accountability on Google's part 👍. Hopefully, this will lead to better safeguards in the future 💻
 
🤔 I'm not surprised to hear about Google settling this lawsuit, to be honest. I mean, who hasn't had those awkward moments where their smart speaker just starts blasting ads out of nowhere? 📺😱 It's frustrating enough when it happens with your own voice, let alone someone else's.

As a parent, it's especially concerning that kids are using these devices all the time. Can you imagine if they were recording everything they said to Google Assistant? 🤯 It's a good reminder for parents to be more mindful of how we use technology and to set boundaries around what our kids can do online.

It's interesting that Apple is going through similar issues, though. I guess it just goes to show that these smart speakers are still figuring out who they are and what they're supposed to do. 😊 Either way, I hope this settlement helps put some minds at ease and gets Google (and other companies) to be more careful about user privacy in the future! 💯
 
omg I'm low-key shocked 😱 Google is getting roasted for their voice assistant and now they're settling for like 68 million 💸 can't believe people actually thought it was okay to be spied on without consent 🤯 I mean, I've used my assistant before but never thought twice about it... guess I was wrong 😳 anyway, this settlement is a big deal because now all those people who got targeted ads with "random" phrases are gonna get some cash 💸 hopefully they're paying out to everyone who's been affected 🤞
 
Omg, I'm so glad Google is settling this lawsuit 🙌! I mean, think about it, we're basically trusting these AI assistants to do their thing without having full control over them... it's crazy 😲. And now that Google's paying out $68 million, hopefully that means they'll be more careful with our private conversations 👀. The whole "false accepts" thing is still kinda mind-blowing, though - who knew their AI could misinterpret what we say? 🤯. I guess this is a good reminder for us to review our device settings and make sure we're not unknowingly sharing our personal info 😊.
 
$68 million is like a drop in the bucket 🤷‍♂️, especially considering all the other big-name companies getting hit with similar lawsuits. Apple just paid out $95 million last year... Google's gotta do better than this 😒
 
I'm still surprised Google is paying out big bucks for this stuff... I mean, we all knew our assistants were listening in, but not to the extent they're saying now 🤯. It's crazy that "hot words" aren't recognized by the AI, leading to these false accepts and targeted ads. I get why Google settled instead of fighting it out - who wants to spend millions on a trial? 💸 But still, $68 million is a lot for something we all kinda knew was going down from day one 🤷‍♀️. Next thing you know, Amazon's Alexa is getting in on the action...
 
🤔 I think this is a clear indication of how vulnerable we are to algorithmic mishaps when it comes to our personal data. The fact that Google Assistant's false accepts were able to lead to targeted ads without explicit consent raises serious questions about the limits of AI-driven marketing 🤑. It's alarming to think that even with the best of intentions, tech giants like Google can unintentionally compromise users' privacy. This settlement might be a step in the right direction, but it's also a reminder that we need to remain vigilant and advocate for more stringent data protection regulations 💻.
 
I'm low-key disappointed that Google is settling for $68 mil instead of owning up to their mistakes 🤔. I mean, if they're so sure their AI is not spying on us, why take the hit? It's like they're trying to silence everyone who thinks they've been hacked 🚫. And let's be real, it's not like Apple didn't do the same thing last year and now they're paying out $95 mil 💸. Just a bunch of companies trying to avoid accountability and make a quick buck off our suffering 😒.
 
OMG 🤯 just heard about Google settling for $68 mil over their voice assistant spying scandal 😳 I'm so done with these tech giants thinking they can get away with this kinda thing! Like, what's next? Are we gonna find out that Alexa is also snooping on our convo's 🤐? Anyways, it's good to see Google taking responsibility and settling rather than risking a court battle. That being said, I still think $68 mil is kinda low considering how many people were affected by this issue 🤑. And can we talk about how Apple got off scot-free with their virtual assistant scandal last year? It's like they thought they were above the law 🙄.
 
I'm kinda relieved Google is settling this lawsuit 🙏. $68 million is a decent chunk of change, and it's better they just paid out now rather than draggin' it out in court. But at the same time, I'm thinkin', what were they really worried about? People already know their assistants are recordin' 'em all the time... 🤔 I mean, I've got a Google Home setup in my living room and I always just assume it's on when it is 😂. Still, I guess you can never be too sure about these tech giants and what they're really up to 🤑. And $22 million for lawyers? That's just crazy talk 💸.
 
🤑 I'm gonna say it - Google Assistant is actually kinda cool, but we're all being lazy and complaining about it too much 🤷‍♂️. Like, who doesn't know that "Hey Google" or "OK Google" are the magic words? 😒 It's not like you have to shout them at the top of your lungs for the assistant to catch on. And honestly, if you're so concerned about your private conversations being recorded, maybe don't use a smart speaker in the first place 🤫. The lawsuit is all about people wanting an easy way out and not taking responsibility for their own tech choices 🙄. Google's paying out $68 million because that's what it takes to make everyone happy, but let's be real - we'll just find another excuse to complain about our devices in the future 😂.
 
omg i cant even believe google got caught like for real they knew their voice assistant was doing some sketchy stuff and now they're just paying people to shut up lol $68 mil is still a lot of cash tho but what about all the ppl who were affected by this?? i feel bad for them they didnt consent to their private convo's being recorded and shared like what if google used that info to blackmail ppl or something? its wild how much money they're paying out now but im glad they settled cuz trial can be super costly
 
this is literally the most basic thing google should've done ages ago 🙄 i mean come on, who hasn't had their personal convo recorded by an AI assistant? and to think they're just gonna pay out 68 mil without taking any responsibility or acknowledging that this was a legit issue from the getgo 🤦‍♀️ it's not like they were caught red-handed or anything, it's more like they realized it wasn't cool to spy on people's conversations and decided to settle before things got messy 💸
 
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