March 31, 2026

For decades, users suspected that Google was listening in on conversations through their smartphones, oftentimes serving ads for products that users spoke about in casual conversation but didn’t actually search for online. While no wrongdoing has been admitted or found, the suspicions are gaining new attention as Google has agreed — citing the “uncertainty, risk, expense, inconvenience, and distraction” involved — to settle a years-long illicit eavesdropping case for a cool $68 million.

The class action lawsuit, which was filed all the way back in July 2019, alleged that any Google and/or Android devices with Google Assistant hotword detection enabled both recorded and transmitted anything it heard — including conversations — back to Google’s servers without users’ knowledge.

After years of eerie suspicions that Google’s virtual assistant was covertly eavesdropping on private conversations, the tech giant is finally coughing up a staggering $68 million to settle a high-stakes class-action lawsuit! Since 2019, users have alleged that their Android devices didn’t just wait for the wake words "OK, Google" or "Hey, Google" but instead recorded and transmitted their private chats without consent. While Google has denied any wrongdoing, the massive payout hints there’s some truth behind the creepy claims, leaving millions questioning if their smartphones have been spying on their every word all along!

Leave a Reply