Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, reached a landmark $1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas for allegedly collecting biometric data from millions of users without their consent. This is one of the largest penalties imposed on the tech giant by regulators.
According to Attorney General Ken Paxton, “This historic settlement shows our dedication to holding the world’s biggest tech companies accountable for their illegal actions and violations of privacy rights in Texas. Any misuse of Texans’ sensitive data will face legal consequences.”
The lawsuit was filed over two years ago when Facebook was accused of capturing facial data from Texas residents without their permission. The lawsuit alleged that Facebook violated the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier (CUBI) Act and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act in the state.
Initially introduced as Tag Suggestions in 2010, the feature allowed users to tag photos on Facebook with the names of people in them. However, the feature was enabled by default without proper explanation of its functioning.
Meta was accused of running facial recognition software on all uploaded photos to capture facial geometry data of users without their consent, violating the state’s biometric privacy laws.
Meta decided to discontinue its Face Recognition system and delete over a billion users’ facial recognition templates to limit the use of the technology. The company also agreed to a $650 million settlement for similar allegations in a class-action lawsuit in Illinois.
In addition to Meta, Texas also sued Google for allegedly violating biometric privacy laws by collecting voice and facial data through products like Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Nest Hub Max. The case is currently ongoing.
