Google To Pay Texas $1.4 Billion Over Alleged Data Privacy Violations

Google has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to the state of Texas to settle allegations that it collected and used users' personal data without their consent, Associated Press reported.

Google stated it had already modified many of the policies in question and characterized the settlement as addressing “old claims.” I Photo: Lily Wilkerson

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the settlement demonstrates that “Big Tech is not above the law.”

He accused the tech giant of secretly tracking users' locations, searches, and even biometric data—including voiceprints and facial geometry—through services like Google Photos and Google Assistant.

“This sends a clear message: we will not allow companies to profit by selling away our rights and freedoms,” Paxton said.

The claims, originally filed in 2022, focused on Google’s handling of geolocation data, incognito search tracking, and biometric information. Google spokesperson José Castañeda said the company had already modified many of the policies in question and characterized the settlement as addressing “old claims.”