Google Settles $68 Million Lawsuit Over Privacy Concerns
Google has agreed to pay $68 million to settle claims that its voice assistant illegally spied on users for targeted advertising purposes, according to a report by Reuters.
The settlement of the class-action case does not involve Google admitting any wrongdoing. The lawsuit accused the tech giant of intercepting and recording individuals’ confidential communications without consent and sharing that information with third parties for advertising and other purposes.
The allegations revolve around instances of “false accepts,” where Google Assistant allegedly activated and recorded conversations without a deliberate prompt from users using a wake word. Google has not provided a comment on the matter despite requests from JS.
This legal dispute reflects a growing concern among Americans regarding the privacy of their digital devices. In a similar case in 2021, Apple agreed to pay $95 million to settle claims that Siri had recorded conversations without user consent.
Google has faced several privacy-related lawsuits in recent years, including a $1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas for violating data privacy laws. These incidents highlight the ongoing challenges faced by tech companies in balancing innovation with user privacy.
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