Google has agreed to pay out a whopping $68 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that its popular voice assistant was snooping on users without their consent. The company, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet, is facing claims that it illegally recorded and shared private conversations in an effort to send targeted ads to smartphone owners.
The issue at the center of the dispute centers around Google Assistant's ability to react when users say "Hey Google" or "OK Google," often referred to as "hot words." However, some users claim that the assistant would occasionally misinterpret their speech, known as "false accepts," and send them ads. This has led to a class-action lawsuit against the company.
Despite denying any wrongdoing, Google opted to settle rather than risk the uncertainty and cost of litigation. The agreement, which must be approved by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman, covers individuals who purchased Google devices or were affected by false accepts since May 18, 2016.
It's worth noting that lawyers representing the plaintiffs are likely to take a significant cut from the settlement fund, potentially taking up to $22.7 million for their fees. This amount is roughly one-third of the total payout, which will be distributed among those who were affected by Google's alleged privacy violations. The settlement follows a similar case against Apple, which reached a $95 million agreement with smartphone users last year.
The issue at the center of the dispute centers around Google Assistant's ability to react when users say "Hey Google" or "OK Google," often referred to as "hot words." However, some users claim that the assistant would occasionally misinterpret their speech, known as "false accepts," and send them ads. This has led to a class-action lawsuit against the company.
Despite denying any wrongdoing, Google opted to settle rather than risk the uncertainty and cost of litigation. The agreement, which must be approved by US District Judge Beth Labson Freeman, covers individuals who purchased Google devices or were affected by false accepts since May 18, 2016.
It's worth noting that lawyers representing the plaintiffs are likely to take a significant cut from the settlement fund, potentially taking up to $22.7 million for their fees. This amount is roughly one-third of the total payout, which will be distributed among those who were affected by Google's alleged privacy violations. The settlement follows a similar case against Apple, which reached a $95 million agreement with smartphone users last year.
. People need to hold these big tech companies accountable for their actions. I mean think about it, we're already living in an era where our every move is tracked and monetized. The fact that Google was sneaking around recording private conversations without permission is just plain creepy 
. And now they're paying out millions to settle the lawsuit, but what's the real cost here? We should be paying attention to how these companies operate and making sure our voices are heard. It's not just about getting a payout, it's about changing the system 
They really should've been more careful about how they were using their voice assistant, you know? I mean, who wants their private conversations being recorded without their consent? 
It's not like it's a new issue or anything. But hey, at least the people affected will get some money out of it 
Will they be more transparent about what they're doing with our data? Only time will tell 
I hope so, because we all need a little extra protection when it comes to our online presence 
. I mean, they're basically collecting your private conversations and using them to sell ads - that's some serious creepiness 
. And now they get to just settle for a paltry sum instead of taking responsibility? Not cool 
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. I'm not surprised people are mad, tbh 
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. And now we're all gonna be set for life, minus the lawyers who'll be getting a chunk of that dough 
. I'm glad Google decided to settle instead of going through the hassle of court battles - it's always better to get it over with 
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I'm not surprised that Google agreed to pay out $68 million, tbh! It was only a matter of time before they got caught for their snooping ways 
. I mean, how hard is it to keep track of when someone says "Hey Google" or whatever the hot word is? 
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This whole thing is wild to me - like, we're living in an era where our smart speakers are basically listening to us all the time and we don't even realize it 
. And now Google's being held accountable for allegedly invading our privacy... about time, right? 
. Anyway, I guess this settlement is a good thing for all us Google users who've been unwittingly snoopin' on by their assistants 
. Better safe than sorry, right? 
anyway cant wait to see whats next
. gotta give props to the plaintiffs for taking on big tech in the first place 
!