Texas Reaches $1.38 Billion Data Privacy Settlement with Google

Google has consented to a payment of $1.375 billion as part of a preliminary settlement with Texas regarding claims that the company breached users' data privacy, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated on Friday. The settlement resolves two legal cases involving three products for supposedly breaching Texas consumer protection regulations. In Texas, Big Tech must adhere to the law. For years, Google discreetly monitored individuals' locations, personal searches, and even their voice patterns and facial features via its products and services. "I resisted and triumphed," Paxton stated in a remark. The specifics of the agreement were not revealed. The Texas attorney general didn't specify how the funds would be utilised. Google announced that the agreement resolves claims related to Incognito, Location History, and allegations concerning biometrics.

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The company did not acknowledge any misconduct. "This resolves numerous longstanding claims, many of which have been addressed in other ways, related to product policies we have already modified," stated José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google.  "We are glad to have moved past them, and we will carry on enhancing strong privacy measures in our services." In 2022, Paxton filed two lawsuits against Google, claiming that the company had gathered records of Texas residents' facial geometry and voiceprints without securing adequate consent. He further claimed that the company monitored users' locations even when they believed they had turned off the feature and deceived users about Incognito mode, which is designed for private browsing. A Google spokesperson stated that the settlement does not necessitate changes to the product. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed last year to pay $1.4 billion to resolve claims from Paxton regarding the illegal collection and use of facial recognition data