Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to pay $1.4 billion (Ksh. 182
billion) to resolve a lawsuit brought by Texas, accusing the tech giant of illegally using facial-
recognition technology to collect biometric data from millions of Texans without their consent.
The terms of the settlement, disclosed on Tuesday, represent the largest accord ever achieved by
any single state, according to the lawyers representing Texas. The legal team included the
plaintiffs’ firm Keller Postman. The lawsuit, filed in 2022, was the first major case initiated
under Texas’ 2009 biometric privacy law, which allows for damages of up to $25,000 per
violation.
Texas accused Facebook of capturing biometric information billions of times from photos and
videos uploaded by users, utilizing a now-discontinued feature called “Tag Suggestions.” The
feature used facial-recognition technology to suggest tagging people in photos.
A spokesperson for Meta expressed satisfaction with resolving the matter and mentioned that the
company looks forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen business investments in
Texas, including the potential development of data centers. Despite the settlement, Meta
continues to deny any wrongdoing.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hailed the settlement as a demonstration of the state’s
commitment to holding major technology companies accountable for violating privacy laws.
“This settlement marks 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.
The accord between Texas and Meta was reached in May, just weeks before the trial was
scheduled to begin in state court. This settlement follows a separate agreement by Meta in 2020,
where the company paid $650 million to settle a biometric privacy class action under Illinois’
stringent privacy law. Meta denied any wrongdoing in that case as well.
Meanwhile, Alphabet’s Google is also facing a lawsuit from Texas, accusing it of violating the
state’s biometric law, indicating a broader scrutiny and legal challenge against major tech
companies regarding privacy practices.
Bulletins
Business
Meta Platforms to Pay $1.4 Billion to Settle Texas Biometric Privacy Lawsuit.
- 0 Comments