Today's Edition
WASHINGTON (dpa)
Internet giant Google will pay $1.37 billion to Texas to settle a lawsuit relating to data privacy, the state's Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Friday.
In 2022, Paxton sued Google for unlawfully tracking and collecting users' private data regarding geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data.
"In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law," Paxton said in a statement.
"For years, Google secretly tracked people's movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won," he said.
"This $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans' privacy and tells companies that they will pay for abusing our trust. I will always protect Texans by stopping Big Tech's attempts to make a profit by selling away our rights and freedoms."
A Google spokesperson said in a statement that the settlement covered two cases and three claims, relating to incognito, location history, and biometrics-related allegations.
"This settles a raft of old claims, many of which have already been resolved elsewhere, concerning product policies, we have long since changed," the statement said.
"We are pleased to put them behind us, and we will continue to build robust privacy controls into our services."
