Google Pays $1.4 Billion to Settle Texas Lawsuit Over Data Privacy Violations

Google Pays $1.4 Billion To Settle Texas Lawsuit Over Data Privacy Violations

Yup, you read that right. Google just wrote a massive check to Texas — we’re talkin’ $1.375 BILLION — to settle a juicy lawsuit over how it allegedly handled your private data.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wasn’t playing around. He came for Google in 2022, accusing the tech giant of pulling some sneaky moves — like tracking people’s locations even when they turned off Location History. Oh, and get this — collecting info while you’re in Incognito mode! So much for private browsing, right?

According to AP News, Paxton also said Google was scooping up biometric data like voiceprints and face geometry through stuff like Google Assistant and Photos. That’s facial-recognition-level creepy.

But here’s the kicker — Google isn’t admitting to doing anything wrong. Instead, they’re basically saying, “We’ve moved on, and so should you.” A rep told The Verge that the case was about “outdated product policies” that have already been changed.

Still… that check didn’t write itself.

The Texas AG is calling it a huge win for privacy rights. And honestly, it is one of the biggest state-level privacy settlements ever. To put it in perspective — Meta had to fork over the same $1.4B last year to Texas for a similar biometric data mess. Looks like the Lone Star State doesn’t mess around when it comes to Big Tech.

And don’t expect this to be the last Big Tech takedown — not while Texas is on a roll.