Meta to pay record $1.4 billion to settle Texas facial recognition suit
The Peninsula
Meta reached a $1.4 billion deal to settle claims brought by the Texas attorney general over allegations that the social media giant flouted state pri...
Meta reached a $1.4 billion deal to settle claims brought by the Texas attorney general over allegations that the social media giant flouted state privacy laws when it collected millions of users’ biometric data without their consent.
The lawsuit, which targeted Meta’s use of facial recognition software, has resulted in the largest privacy settlement obtained by a state attorney general, according to the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
"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 said in a statement. "Any abuse of Texans’ sensitive data will be met with the full force of the law.”
Meta didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In 2022, Paxton filed a lawsuit alleging that Meta knowingly violated the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act and Deceptive Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act by implementing a now-defunct facial-recognition-based photo and video tagging feature.