Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has scored another massive legal victory against Big Tech. On Friday, he announced a $1.375 billion settlement with Google. This falls under what he proudly called the Texas Data Privacy Crackdown. The agreement resolves two lawsuits that accused Google of secretly tracking users’ locations, incognito activity, and biometric information.
Paxton filed both lawsuits in 2022. At that time, he accused Google of deceptive practices that violated privacy laws. Moreover, the state claimed Google continued collecting sensitive data even when users believed they had opted out.
As a result, this settlement now stands as the largest ever secured by a single state against Google over data privacy issues. Previous state settlements never exceeded $93 million. In contrast, Texas walked away with nearly $1.4 billion. Furthermore, Paxton emphasized that no company is above the law in Texas. He also vowed to continue holding Big Tech accountable for misusing personal data.
The lawsuits highlighted three key privacy concerns. First, Google allegedly tracked users’ locations even when location history was turned off. In addition, Google reportedly collected private activity from Chrome’s incognito mode. Finally, the state accused Google of using facial recognition through Google Photos without obtaining proper consent.
However, Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda quickly responded to the settlement. He stated that Google did not admit any wrongdoing. Additionally, he noted the company had already changed its privacy policies before the legal outcome.
Meanwhile, this is not Paxton’s first major victory in the Texas Data Privacy Crackdown. Just ten months earlier, Texas reached a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta. That case focused on Meta’s use of facial recognition across Facebook. Paxton claimed Meta scanned nearly every uploaded photo for over a decade without user permission.
Despite that historic fine, Meta also avoided admitting fault. Nevertheless, Paxton celebrated the outcome as a major win for Texans. He declared that any misuse of private data would face tough legal consequences in Texas.
Ultimately, these victories mark a turning point in digital accountability. Through the Texas Data Privacy Crackdown, Paxton is sending a firm message. Tech giants that abuse user trust will face serious legal and financial consequences in his state.
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