Google Assistant $68 million privacy settlement
$68 million, non-reversionary: no money goes back to Google. source
In re Google Assistant Privacy Litigation 路 5:19-cv-04286-BLF 路 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California 路 Beth Labson Freeman
Where it stands
The court granted final approval on October 13, 2026 and entered final judgment on October 20, 2026; claims are closed and the administrator has not announced a payment date, which comes only after any appeals are resolved. Official update, Oct 20, 2026
Who qualifies
- Purchaser class: people who bought a Google-made device in the United States or its territories between May 18, 2016 and March 19, 2026. Google-made devices include Google Home, Home Mini and Home Max speakers, Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max displays, and Pixel phones. source
- Privacy class: Google Assistant users and members of their households whose conversations, between May 18, 2016 and March 19, 2026, were recorded because of a "False Accept" (the device activated without the hot word being said) or were disclosed to a third-party review vendor. source
- Only class members who filed a valid claim by August 27, 2026 are paid. Purchaser claims had to include the device model, serial number and proof of purchase. source
- People who opted out of the earlier certified purchaser class by September 9, 2024 stay out unless they rejoined, for example by filing a claim form by August 27, 2026. source
What each group gets
Key dates
- Sep 9, 2024 Opt-out deadline for the earlier certified purchaser class source
- Jan 22, 2026 Settlement agreement signed source
- Mar 19, 2026 Preliminary approval; end of the class period source
- Aug 27, 2026 Claim, opt-out and objection deadline source
- Oct 1, 2026 Final approval hearing source
- Oct 13, 2026 Final approval granted; objections overruled source
- Oct 20, 2026 Final judgment entered source
What the case was about
In July 2019 Google confirmed that one of the language reviewers it used to check Assistant audio had leaked confidential Dutch audio data. In the same post Google said language experts reviewed about 0.2 percent of audio snippets, and that devices with the Assistant built in rarely had a "false accept," where background noise or words are mistaken for the hot word such as "Ok Google." The first class action over Google Assistant recordings was filed in federal court in San Jose that same month, and two similar suits were later consolidated with it.
The plaintiffs alleged that, based on Google's public statements, terms of service and privacy policy, Assistant devices were only supposed to record and send audio after a hot word or a manual activation. They alleged that the devices also activated in other circumstances, recorded people without consent, and sent those recordings to Google and to third-party contractors, including to improve speech recognition. Google denies all of the allegations and that it did anything improper or unlawful, and the court made no finding on who was right.
The case ran for seven years. The court certified a class of device purchasers on breach of contract and unfair competition claims but declined to certify the privacy classes, and trial had been set for September 2025. Google then agreed to pay $68 million. The court noted the plaintiffs' estimate that purchaser damages at trial would have ranged from about $120 million, at $1 per device, to $448.8 million, at a $3.74 price premium per device, which puts the settlement at about 15% to 57% of that range.
Notice went to 173,814,291 valid email addresses with a 98.76% delivery rate, and the administrator reported reaching more than 75.2% of the target audience. By September 17, 2026 it had received more than 1.49 million timely claims and more than 40,000 late claims, which it has discretion to accept. Seven class members objected. On October 13, 2026 Judge Beth Labson Freeman overruled the objections, approved the settlement and awarded class counsel one-third of the fund.
Questions people ask
When will I get my Google settlement payment?
The notice says approved claimants are paid only after the court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved, which can take time. Final approval came on October 13, 2026; the administrator has not posted a payment date. source
How much is the Google Assistant settlement per person?
The court cited estimates of about $18 to $56 for each device purchaser and about $2 to $10 for each privacy class member. Actual amounts depend on how many valid claims are approved. source
Can I still file a claim in the Google settlement?
No. The settlement website says the August 27, 2026 claim deadline has passed. source
Is the Google Assistant settlement legit?
It is a real class action settlement in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The claims administrator is A.B. Data, Ltd., which runs GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com and the toll-free line 1-877-411-4704. source
What about the $700 million Google Play Store settlement?
That is a separate settlement with a coalition of state attorneys general over alleged Play Store overcharges on purchases from August 2016 to September 2023. Most payments are made automatically to the PayPal or Venmo account linked to the buyer's Google Play email or phone number, with a supplemental claims process afterwards for people who cannot be paid that way. source
Did the Google Chrome incognito settlement pay users?
No. Under the incognito settlement filed in April 2024, Google agreed to delete billions of data records and update its disclosures but paid no damages; users can still sue individually. source
Status history
- Jan 22, 2026 Google and the plaintiffs sign the $68 million settlement. source
- Mar 19, 2026 The court grants preliminary approval and conditionally certifies the purchaser and privacy settlement classes. source
- Aug 27, 2026 The claim period closes. source
- Sep 17, 2026 The administrator reports more than 1.49 million timely claims and more than 40,000 late claims. source
- Oct 13, 2026 Judge Freeman grants final approval and overrules seven objections. source
- Oct 20, 2026 The court enters final judgment. source