Google has reached a $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over allegations of unlawfully collecting biometric data from millions of Texans without proper consent. This settlement is the largest ever against Google for data privacy violations and highlights ongoing legal actions against Big Tech companies.
Affected: Texas, Google.
Affected: Texas, Google.
Keypoints
- Google has agreed to pay $1.375 billion to settle allegations of collecting and using biometric data of Texans without their consent.
- The lawsuit accused Google of violating the Texas Biometric Privacy Act by unlawfully gathering face and voice scans since 2015.
- Google was also charged with continuously tracking Texans’ locations and searches, even in Chrome’s incognito mode.
- The settlement is the largest in the U.S. for Google related to data privacy violations, surpassing previous recoveries.
- Google stated that the settlement covers old claims and that they’ve already implemented changes to their products and policies.
- The company’s spokesperson emphasized that the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or liability.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton highlighted recent successful legal actions against major tech companies, including a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta.