Google Settles Texas Privacy Lawsuits for $1.4 Billion
In a significant move, Google has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to the State of Texas to settle two lawsuits over allegations of privacy violations concerning location tracking and facial recognition data collection. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who pushed for the settlement, filed the lawsuits in 2022, citing violations of state data privacy and deceptive trade practices laws.
This settlement mirrors a prior agreement Paxton reached with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which also involved a $1.4 billion settlement for similar privacy infringements. "Big Tech is not above the law," Paxton stated, emphasizing the state’s commitment to holding tech giants accountable.
The lawsuits targeted various Google features, including the Google Photos app—which allowed users to search for pictures of specific individuals—and the Next camera, which notified users upon recognizing visitors. Additionally, the lawsuits scrutinized Google Assistant’s capabilities to learn and respond to multiple users’ voices. A separate lawsuit addressed allegations that Google misled users by tracking location data even after disabling the feature, and questioned the privacy of its Incognito mode.
Google’s spokesman, José Castañeda, highlighted that the company has already updated its product policies and described the settlement as a resolution of longstanding claims. The ongoing tension between major tech companies and regulators stems from increasing scrutiny of privacy issues, especially in the absence of a comprehensive federal privacy law. States like Texas have enacted laws requiring explicit consent for the collection of biometric data, with penalties reaching $25,000 per violation.
This settlement represents yet another legal challenge for Google, which has faced multiple antitrust cases regarding its dominance in app stores, search, and advertising technology.
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