Google to pay $1.4B to settle Texas data privacy lawsuit
What's the story
Google has agreed to a settlement of nearly $1.4 billion with the state of Texas, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced. The settlement comes after allegations that Google violated the data privacy rights of Texan residents. Paxton had filed the lawsuit in 2022, accusing Google of tracking and collecting private user data unlawfully.
Record settlement
Settlement surpasses previous state agreements with Google
The settlement agreement comes as the culmination of two separate lawsuits against Google and is much larger than any previous settlements in similar data privacy violations. Paxton had previously secured a $1.4 billion settlement from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for unauthorized use of biometric data by users on those platforms. "In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law," Paxton said in his announcement.
Privacy concerns
Paxton highlights Google's secretive tracking practices
Further, Paxton emphasized, "For years, Google secretly tracked people's movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services." He noted that, "This $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans' privacy and tells companies that they will pay for abusing our trust." Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda, however, clarified that the company did not admit any wrongdoing or liability in this settlement agreement.
No changes needed
Settlement does not require changes to Google's products
The allegations in this settlement relate to Chrome browser's incognito setting, location history disclosures on the Google Maps app, and biometric claims on Google Photos. Castaneda confirmed that no product changes were required as part of this settlement. He further noted that all policy changes made by Google in connection with these allegations had been previously announced or implemented.