Google settles with Texas over unlawful data tracking for $1.375bn

(Web Desk): Google has agreed to pay $1.375 billion to the US state of Texas to settle two major legal cases accusing the tech giant of unlawfully tracking and storing users’ personal data — including location history, voiceprints and facial geometry — without appropriate consent.

The lawsuits were filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2022, claiming Google had violated state privacy and consumer protection laws through data practices involving Incognito mode, Location History, and biometric information.

“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. I fought back and won.”

The settlement — said to be the largest of its kind secured by a US state — does not compel Google to make changes to its products, nor does the company admit any wrongdoing.

A spokesperson for the firm said the case resolves a number of “old claims” that have already been addressed elsewhere.

“This agreement allows us to move forward and continue building robust privacy controls into our services,” said Google spokesperson José Castañeda.

The lawsuits alleged that Google continued tracking user locations even when location settings were disabled, and that Incognito mode offered misleading assurances of privacy.

The complaints also raised concerns about biometric data gathered via services like Google Photos without user knowledge or consent.

This follows a separate $1.4 billion settlement between Texas and Meta last year over similar allegations concerning facial recognition technology.

Texas officials have not yet detailed how the funds from the Google settlement will be used.