The essence of the accusations lies in the so-called "false activations," when the voice assistant was triggered without using the wake phrases "Okay, Google" or "Hey, Google," and recorded personal data. This information could have been used for ad personalization.
Although Google has agreed to the payout, it has not admitted any wrongdoing, stating that the decision to settle was made to reduce costs associated with lengthy litigation and to minimize reputational damage.
This incident has become part of the ongoing struggle for personal information protection, in which Google often finds itself in the public spotlight.
For users, this settlement is an acknowledgment of the issue of false activations and a step towards enhancing control over personal data protection. At the same time, for Google, it is a signal of the need to improve transparency in the operation of its voice technologies and to strengthen data protection measures.
A federal judge still needs to approve this settlement, after which it will take effect. If this happens, users affected by false activations will be able to receive compensation.
