Meta settles biometric data lawsuit with Texas for $1.4 billion
American tech giant Meta has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit filed by the state of Texas over the illegal collection of biometric data of millions of Texans through facial-recognition technology.
Payment timeline and company statement
Meta will pay the amount over the next five years. A spokesperson for the California-based company expressed satisfaction with the resolution, stating, “We are happy to resolve the matter and look forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers.” Despite the settlement, Meta continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Legal background
The lawsuit, filed in 2022 under Texas’s 2009 biometric privacy law, marked the first major case under this legislation. The law stipulates fines and damages of $25,000 per violation. According to state lawyers, this settlement is the largest ever by a single state.
Allegations against Meta
The allegations against Meta claim that the company captured biometric data of its users “billions of times” through photos and videos uploaded to its platforms using a free, now-discontinued feature called “Tag Suggestions.” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who filed the lawsuit, asserted that Meta collected this data without user consent.
Texas attorney general’s reaction
Attorney General Paxton emphasized the state’s commitment to protecting Texans’ sensitive data, stating, “This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights.”
Paxton also revealed that a similar case is being pursued against Alphabet, accusing the Google owner of illegally collecting biometric data from millions of Texans.