Google has agreed to pay $1.375 billion to settle claims of data privacy violations filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The settlement resolves two lawsuits alleging that the tech giant unlawfully tracked and collected users’ private data, including geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data. This marks the largest settlement of its kind, with previous settlements involving Google never surpassing $93 million, according to an official press release.
In 2022, Texas filed two lawsuits against Google, accusing the company of violating state consumer protection laws by secretly collecting users’ private data without consent. Paxton’s office argued that Google tracked users’ movements, private searches, and even their facial geometry and voiceprints through products such as Incognito mode and Location History. In a statement, Paxton emphasized that “Big Tech is not above the law,” stating that this case was a victory against the tech giant’s secretive data practices.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda addressed the settlement, noting, “This settles a raft of old claims, many of which have already been resolved elsewhere, concerning product policies we have long since changed. We are pleased to put them behind us, and we will continue to build robust privacy controls into our services.”
This settlement follows a previous agreement in 2022, where Google paid $391.5 million to 40 U.S. states over allegations of location tracking without user consent. Last year, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, also settled with Texas, agreeing to pay $1.4 billion over facial recognition and photo tagging issues.
What do you think of this major settlement? Do you think it will have a lasting impact on Google’s privacy policies? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
According to Reuters, the details of how the settlement money will be distributed have not yet been disclosed, and Google has not admitted any wrongdoing in this case.
Additionally, The Verge reports that the agreement includes allegations related to Incognito, Location History, and biometrics.
While the settlement resolves these claims, it does not require Google to make any changes to its products, as stated by the company.
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. All details and claims are based on the most recent publicly available reports, and the views expressed are not intended to serve as legal advice. Please verify details from trusted legal sources before taking any action.
