Google agreed to pay $ 1 billion $ 375 million. as part of the settlement concluded with the state of Texas. It is a consequence of the allegations that the company violated the privacy of user data. The agreement decides two lawsuits, which included three products for alleged violation of the provisions on consumer protection in Texas.
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“In Texas, Big Tech does not stand above the law. Over the years, Google secretly followed the movements of people, private search, and even traces of their voices and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought and won, “said Ken Paxton General Prosecutor General in a statement.
The contract resolves several Texas claims against the search giant from 2022. related to geolocation, Incognito search and biometric data. Stan claimed that Google “unlawfully followed and collected private user data.”
Paxton claimed, for example, that Google collected millions of biometric identifiers, including voice imprints and faces geometry records, through products and services such as Google photos and Google assistant.
Google lost to the state. “Big Tech does not stand above the law”
Google spokesman José Castañeda said that the contract regulates a number of “old claims”, some of which refer to the rules regarding the products that the company has already changed.
“We are glad that we have it behind us and we will continue to build a solid privacy control in our services” – Castañeda said in a statement that the Associated Press quotes. The company also explained that the settlement does not require any new changes in products.
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Prosecutor Paxton admitted that $ 1 billion $ 400 million This is the largest amount of winning by any state in the settlement with Google in connection with this type of violation of data privacy.
Texas has previously concluded two other key settlements with Google over the past two years, In this one in December 2023, in which the company agreed to pay $ 700 million. And make a few other concessions to regulate the allegations that she suppressed competition against her android application store.
Meta also agreed to a settlement of $ 1 billion $ 4 million. with Texas in the case for the protection of privacy in connection with the allegations that the technological giant used the biometric data of users without their consent.
