Google Agrees to $1.375 Billion Settlement with Texas Regarding Unauthorized Tracking and Biometric Data Practices

Google has agreed to a settlement with the state of Texas, amounting to $1.4 billion, to resolve two lawsuits alleging the company unlawfully tracked users’ locations and retained facial recognition data without consent.

This settlement is significantly higher than previous fines associated with similar allegations from other states. In November 2022, Google incurred a penalty of $391 million from a collective of 40 states. Subsequently, in January 2023, it paid $29.5 million to Indiana and Washington, followed by a $93 million settlement with California later that same year.

The lawsuits, initially filed in 2022, focused on the unlawful tracking and collection of user data related to geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data. Allegations included tracking users’ locations even when they had disabled the Location History feature and collecting biometric information without obtaining informed consent.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated, “For years, Google secretly tracked people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services.” He emphasized that this settlement represents a significant victory for the privacy of Texas residents and serves as a warning to companies about the consequences of violating public trust.

In response to growing concerns over privacy, Google announced intentions last year to store Maps Timeline data locally on users’ devices, as opposed to in their Google accounts. The company has also implemented privacy controls allowing users to automate the deletion of location data when Location History is active.

This financial settlement parallels a $1.4 billion penalty imposed on Meta by Texas, also regarding unauthorized biometric data collection from millions of users.

The timing of this development coincides with heightened regulatory scrutiny facing Google, with increasing calls for structural changes to address antitrust issues across both the American and European markets.