Google forced to cough out $1.4bn to settle privacy lawsuit

Google, the world’s largest search engine, has agreed to pay the state of Texas the sum of $1.4 billion to resolve cases involving privacy infractions, specifically the usage of biometric data without the required authorization.

Texas’ Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI Act), which prohibits the acquisition of biometric information such as voice and facial recognition without informed consent, was allegedly violated by Google, according to the lawsuit.

According to Texas, Google gathered and utilized biometric identifiers through Nest smart devices, Google Photos, and Google Assistant, occasionally for advertising and product development.

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Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas filed the complaints in 2022. Paxton sued Facebook last year over face recognition, and Facebook’s parent company, Meta, agreed to pay a comparable sum.

“In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law,” Paxton said in a statement. “For years, Google secretly tracked people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won.”

This is one of the biggest privacy settlements in American history, highlighting the growing concern over Big Tech’s personal data handling practices.

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