Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is making waves with a big announcement. On Tuesday, he announced a landmark $1.375 billion settlement with Google over the company’s illegal use of Texans’ biometric data. This agreement is a huge win for privacy advocates, reaffirming the state’s resolve to protect citizens’ sensitive personal information. The settlement stems from allegations that Google violated Texas’ biometric privacy law, enacted in 2009, by unlawfully collecting users’ biometric data without their consent.
In 2022, we joined together to sue Google. Specifically, the complaint claims the company intentionally tracked people’s movements, private online searches, voiceprints, and facial geometry without consent through its devices and services. They directed their criticism at individual elements. These features, Face Match and Voice Match, are put to use in the company’s Nest Hub Max smart display.
Paxton’s Remarks on the Settlement
“This $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans’ privacy and tells companies that they will pay for abusing our trust,” stated Paxton. He further emphasized that this recovery represents “the highest recovery nationwide against Google for any attorney general’s enforcement of state privacy laws.”
This settlement is not a stand-alone occurrence, but rather part of a consistent pattern of legal action taken against Google for data privacy. Last year, 40 states joined together to win a $391 million settlement with the tech giant for many of the same law-breaking practices. Pennsylvania got $20 million from that multi-state settlement, which went to the commonwealth’s treasury.
The consequences of this proposed settlement reach far beyond the borders of Texas. This one provision sends a strong message to innovative technology companies — comply with the law. They should be held accountable in a meaningful way if they violate consumer privacy rights. Paxton continued, “In Texas, Big Tech isn’t above the law. For years, Google secretly tracked people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services.”
Today’s settlement represents a tremendous victory for consumers. More than that, it shines a much-needed spotlight on data privacy practices across the tech industry. A spokesperson for Google remarked on the resolution: “This settlement settles a raft of old claims, many of which have already been resolved elsewhere, concerning product policies we have long since changed.”
What The Author Thinks
The $1.375 billion settlement between Texas and Google marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing battle for consumer privacy rights. It’s a clear indication that tech giants, particularly Big Tech, must be held accountable for overstepping privacy boundaries. While this settlement is a step forward, it’s essential to continue pushing for stricter regulations and more robust protections for personal data. Until companies like Google are forced to fully comply with privacy laws, consumers will continue to face the consequences of unchecked data misuse.
Featured image credit: heartbeaz via Flickr
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