Facebook collecting biometric data on social media without permission.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton revealed on Tuesday Facebook’s parent company Meta has been ordered by a court to pay the state a $1.4 billion settlement for using personal biometric data of Texan Facebook users without their authorization.
According to the 2022 lawsuit, the social media giant was using facial recognition software on Facebook user photographs despite not having permission.
“This settlement is the largest ever obtained from an action brought by a single State and the largest privacy settlement an Attorney General has ever obtained,” wrote Paxton. “This serves as a warning to any companies engaged in practices that violate Texans’ privacy rights.”
?BREAKING NEWS: We have secured a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta to stop the company’s practice of capturing and using the personal biometric data of millions of Texans without the authorization required by law.
This settlement is the largest ever obtained from an action… pic.twitter.com/AkOppAGO0K
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) July 30, 2024
Paxton said:
“After vigorously pursuing justice for our citizens whose privacy rights were violated by Meta’s use of facial recognition software, I’m proud to announce that we have reached the largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single State. This historic settlement demonstrates 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. Any abuse of Texans’ sensitive data will be met with the full force of the law.”
In the future, Meta will be given 60 days to reverse its policies if Texas again finds an issue with the social media site’s collection of biometric data.
The company will soon pay $500 million to the state with $225 million being paid each year from 2025 to 2028.
