Google has agreed to a $68 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging its voice assistant recorded users' private conversations without their consent. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Jose, California, claimed that Google Assistant would activate and record conversations even without the designated wake words like "Hey Google," a phenomenon known as a "false accept."
The plaintiffs alleged that this improperly collected information was then used for targeted advertising. While Google has denied any wrongdoing, it agreed to the settlement to avoid the costs and risks of further litigation. The preliminary settlement, which was filed on January 23, 2026, is still pending approval by a U.S. District Judge.