Published
April 4, 2026
Updated
September 26, 2026
More than 1.5 million claims were filed in the $68 million Google Assistant privacy settlement, and the Settlement Administrator now preliminarily estimates each point is worth about $8 to $20. The Court decides on final approval on October 1, 2026, and no payment date has been announced.
The settlement resolves In re Google Assistant Privacy Litigation, Case No. 5:19-cv-04286-BLF, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California before Judge Beth Labson Freeman. The plaintiffs allege that Google Assistant devices recorded people after "false accepts," when a device wrongly detected a hot word, and that some of those recordings went to third-party reviewers. Google denies the allegations and is settling without admitting wrongdoing. The Settlement Administrator is A.B. Data, Ltd.
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Status
Claims Closed
awaiting final approval · no new claims accepted
Claim Deadline
August 27, 2026 (passed)
the opt-out and objection deadlines closed the same day
Next Step
Final Approval Hearing · October 1, 2026
9:00 a.m. Pacific Time before Judge Beth Labson Freeman
Estimated Payout
$8–$20 per point · about $32–$80 per device · $8–$20 Privacy Class
preliminary Settlement Administrator estimate filed September 17, 2026 · subject to change
Payment Date
Not announced
payments only after final approval and any appeals
Update · September 26, 2026
In court filings dated September 17, 2026, the Settlement Administrator reported more than 1.5 million claims and preliminarily estimated a payout of about $8 to $20 per point, or at least $32 per device and $8 for a privacy-only claim at the low end. Those figures are estimates, not final amounts. The claim deadline passed on August 27, 2026, and the claim form is no longer accepting new claims. The Final Approval Hearing is set for October 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time and has not been held. No payment date had been announced as of September 26, 2026. For the settlement's full terms, see our
Google Assistant privacy settlement page.
New Filings: Administrator Estimates $8 to $20 Per Point
On September 17, 2026, Class Counsel filed their reply in support of final approval (ECF No. 574), with a supplemental declaration from A.B. Data. Those filings give the first administrator-sourced payout figures in the case:- Claims filed: more than 1.49 million timely claims and more than 40,000 late claims, which A.B. Data has discretion to accept under the Settlement Agreement. The declaration's preliminary count is 1,536,964 claimants.
- Device claims: about 85% of claimants gave at least one serial number or IMEI, and Purchaser Class claims list 1.35 devices on average.
- Estimated value per point: about $8 to $20. The administrator says those figures are preliminary and may change after it finishes validating claims, including removing duplicate, incomplete and potentially fraudulent submissions.
- Minimum payment: based on current claims, the Alternative Minimum Payment in the Plan of Allocation is not expected to be needed.
- Opt-outs and objections: 216 valid requests for exclusion and six objections from class members. No government official objected after notice under the Class Action Fairness Act.
- Notice reach: email notice was delivered to about 99% of 173,814,291 addresses on the Direct Notice List, and a reminder email went to people who had not yet filed a claim or opted out, also delivered at about a 99% rate.
Applied to the point system, the administrator's range works out as follows (our arithmetic, based on the preliminary estimate):
- Privacy-only claim (1 point): about $8 to $20
- One Google-Made Device (4 points): about $32 to $80
- One device plus the Privacy Class (5 points): about $40 to $100
- Maximum claim, three devices plus the Privacy Class (13 points): about $104 to $260
The estimate footnote in the declaration assumes a Net Settlement Fund of about $40 million after fees and costs; any additional fees, expenses or deductions would lower the figures proportionally. Actual payments depend on the Court's rulings on October 1 and on the final count of valid claims.
What the Objectors Argue — and How Class Counsel Responded
Six class members objected. Their arguments are their own positions, not findings by the Court, and Judge Freeman will rule on them at or after the October 1 hearing. The main points raised:- Attorneys' fees: Class Counsel request one-third of the fund, $22,666,666.67. Objectors argue that exceeds the Ninth Circuit's 25% benchmark. Class Counsel say a lodestar cross-check produces a multiplier of 1.01, meaning the fee is roughly equal to the value of the hours they recorded.
- Claim rate: one objection (ECF No. 571) says only 859,969 claims were filed, a 0.49% claim rate against 171 million delivered notices. That count is lower than the more than 1.5 million claims the administrator later reported. Class Counsel respond that the 171 million figure is the notice population — everyone who might be a class member — not the size of the class.
- Leftover money and cy pres: the same objection faults the settlement for not naming a charity to receive residual funds. Class Counsel respond that leftover money is first redistributed to claimants who cashed their payments, and a charity would be proposed, and approved by the Court, only if a further distribution were not economically feasible.
- Device cap and serial numbers: other objectors challenge the three-device cap and the requirement to give a serial number or IMEI in addition to proof of purchase. Class Counsel defend both as protection against fraudulent claims and note that 85% of claimants supplied at least one serial number.
- Settlement value: one objector argues the $68 million recovery undervalues the claims. Class Counsel say it reflects the risk that the classes could have recovered far less, or nothing, at trial; Google disputed damages at summary judgment.
Google Assistant Settlement Claims Are Closed — What Happens Now
Nothing further is required from people who already filed. The next steps belong to the Court and the Settlement Administrator:- October 1, 2026: Judge Freeman holds the Final Approval Hearing to decide whether the settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate, and to rule on Class Counsel's request for attorneys' fees, expenses and service awards.
- After the hearing: the Court may approve the settlement, delay its decision, or reject it. A hearing taking place is not the same as approval. An approval is confirmed only by a written order.
- If approval is granted: the order can still be appealed. Payments cannot go out until any appeals are resolved and the settlement becomes effective.
- Claim review: A.B. Data reviews submitted claims against the settlement's requirements and may contact claimants if it needs more information.
The official settlement website, GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com, is where the Court's ruling and any payment timeline will be posted.
When Will Payments Be Sent?
There is no official payment date. No payment date had been announced as of September 26, 2026, and no money can be paid unless the Court grants final approval and any appeals are resolved.Timing after that depends on things nobody can forecast yet: whether anyone appeals, how long appeals take, and how long the administrator needs to finish claim review. Treat any payment date you see before the Court rules and the official site announces one as a guess.
According to the settlement materials, payment communications are expected to be sent digitally by email or text message, and payment methods may include PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or ACH, based on the choice made on the claim form.
Watch for Emails From the Settlement Administrator — and Check Them Safely
A.B. Data contacted class members by email during the claim period, including a REMINDER round that carried a Unique ID and PIN and landed in many spam and promotions folders. Once the case moves toward payments, claimants can expect more email or text contact. That is also when fake "settlement payment" messages tend to appear.How to handle any message about your Google Assistant payment:
- Check your spam, junk and promotions folders so you do not miss a real message.
- Do not click links or buttons in a message you are unsure about. Type GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com into your browser yourself and compare what the email says with what the official site says.
- Keep your claim confirmation and the notice emails you received. If the administrator needs any identifier from you for payment, the official site will say so.
- No legitimate settlement administrator charges a fee to release a payment, and none will ask for a Social Security number, a bank login, or an up-front payment. A message that asks for any of those is not from the administrator, however official it looks.
Missed the August 27 Deadline?
The settlement documents make no provision for late claims, and the opt-out and objection windows closed on the same date. A class member who did not file and did not opt out stays in the Settlement Classes and, if the settlement is approved, gives up the released claims against Google without receiving a payment. If a deadline were ever changed, the official settlement website would announce it. None had been announced as of September 26, 2026.Who Was Eligible to File?
The settlement has two classes, both covering May 18, 2016 through March 19, 2026:- Purchaser Settlement Class: U.S. buyers of a Google-Made Device: Pixel phones, Google Home, Home Mini, Home Max, Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. A Samsung or other third-party Android phone was not a Google-Made Device.
- Privacy Settlement Class: Google Assistant users, or members of a user's household, whose communications were recorded by a False Accept or disclosed to a third-party review vendor, on any Assistant-enabled device.
Claims could be made under one class or both. Privacy Class claims needed no receipt, while Purchaser Class device claims required the device model, serial or IMEI number, and proof of purchase.
How Much Could Claimants Receive?
The $68 million fund is non-reversionary, and it is divided among valid claims using points after court-approved attorneys' fees, expenses, service awards and administration costs are deducted:- Purchaser Class: 4 points per eligible Google-Made Device, capped at 3 devices (12 points)
- Privacy Class: 1 point
Current estimate: A.B. Data preliminarily estimates about $8 to $20 per point, which works out to about $32 to $80 per device and $8 to $20 for a privacy-only claim. Earlier press estimates of $18 to $56 per device and $2 to $10 for privacy-only claims came before the claim count was known. The final figures depend on how many claims survive validation and on what fees and costs the Court approves at or after the October 1 hearing.
Key Dates
- March 19, 2026: settlement preliminarily approved
- July 23, 2026: Class Counsel filed its motion for attorneys' fees, expenses and service awards
- August 27, 2026: claim, opt-out and objection deadline (passed)
- September 17, 2026: Class Counsel filed their reply in support of final approval with the administrator's preliminary estimate of $8 to $20 per point
- October 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. PT: Final Approval Hearing before Judge Beth Labson Freeman, San Jose Courthouse
- Payment date: not announced
Why This Settlement Matters
The case is one of several recent lawsuits over voice assistants and passive audio collection, alongside claims about how recordings are reviewed and used to improve speech recognition. Google denies wrongdoing, and the settlement is not a finding that it broke the law, but the case reflects growing scrutiny of how smart devices handle what they hear.Related Voice-Assistant Privacy Cases
• $95M Apple Siri Privacy Settlement: Lopez v. Apple Inc., which paid out in January 2026.• What Happened With the Apple Siri Payments: how the Siri distribution played out, including the average payment per device.
• Amazon Alexa Voice ID BIPA Class Action: an Illinois biometric-privacy case over Alexa voiceprints.
Questions
Can I still file a Google Assistant settlement claim?
No. The claim deadline was August 27, 2026, and the settlement documents make no provision for late claims. The opt-out and objection deadlines closed the same day. Class members who did not file and did not opt out remain in the Settlement Classes and, if the settlement is approved, are bound by its release without receiving a payment. Any change to a deadline would be announced on the official settlement website; none had been announced as of September 26, 2026.
When will Google Assistant settlement payments be sent?
No payment date had been announced as of September 26, 2026. Payments can be issued only if the Court grants final approval and after any appeals are resolved. The Final Approval Hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time before Judge Beth Labson Freeman; holding the hearing does not by itself mean the settlement is approved. The official settlement website will post the payment timeline once one exists.
How much will Google Assistant claimants receive?
Final amounts are not set, but the Settlement Administrator filed a preliminary estimate on September 17, 2026 of about $8 to $20 per point. Payments are pro rata under a point system: 4 points per eligible Google-Made Device (up to 3 devices) and 1 point for the Privacy Settlement Class. That works out to about $32 to $80 per device, $8 to $20 for a privacy-only claim, and $104 to $260 for the maximum 13-point claim. The estimate may change after claim validation and depends on the fees and costs the Court approves.
How many claims were filed in the Google Assistant settlement?
More than 1.5 million, according to the Settlement Administrator: more than 1.49 million timely claims and more than 40,000 late claims, which the administrator has discretion to accept. The preliminary count in its supplemental declaration is 1,536,964 claimants, with Purchaser Class claims listing 1.35 devices on average.
Is an email about my Google Assistant settlement payment real?
Do not judge it by the email alone. The court-appointed Settlement Administrator, A.B. Data, Ltd., has contacted class members by email, and bulk settlement emails often land in spam and look like phishing, while fake ones can look official. Instead of clicking links in a message, type GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com into your browser and check what the official site says. No legitimate administrator charges a fee to release a settlement payment or asks for a Social Security number, a bank login, or an up-front payment.
How do I check on a Google Assistant claim I already filed?
Keep the confirmation the online claim form displayed or emailed you when you submitted it, along with any notice emails you received. If you have a question about your claim, use the contact page on the official settlement website, GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com. Claims are reviewed by the Settlement Administrator, which may contact claimants if it needs more information.
Sources
• Official Settlement Website: GoogleAssistantPrivacyLitigation.com• In re Google Assistant Privacy Litigation, Case No. 5:19-cv-04286-BLF, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Hon. Beth Labson Freeman presiding
• Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Final Approval and Fee Request (ECF No. 574) and Supplemental Declaration of the Settlement Administrator (ECF No. 574-1), filed September 17, 2026; class member objection (ECF No. 571), filed September 10, 2026
• Long Form Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement and reminder email notice from the Settlement Administrator, A.B. Data, Ltd.
• TechRepublic: Google's $68 Million Settlement: Who Qualifies and How to File a Claim
• Yahoo Finance: Google $68 Million Privacy Settlement Payments coverage
About This Article
Settlement status is current as of September 26, 2026 and will change after the October 1, 2026 hearing. Always check the official settlement website for the latest. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer advocacy and class action news site, and is not a class action administrator or a law firm.
For more class actions keep scrolling below.
Status
Claims Closed — Awaiting Final Approval
Settlement Fund
$68,000,000
Estimated Payout
$8–$20 per point (preliminary administrator estimate)
Case Title
In re Google Assistant Privacy Litigation
Case Number
5:19-cv-04286-BLF
Court
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Claim Deadline
August 27, 2026 (passed)
Final Approval Hearing
October 1, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time
Administrator
A.B. Data, Ltd.
Official Website
Google Assistant Privacy Litigation.com
