Google To Pay $1.375 Billion In Texas Data Privacy Settlement

The tech giant unlawfully tracked users’ locations, searches, and biometric data—despite user settings designed to protect such information.

Google agreed to pay $1.375 billion to settle two lawsuits brought by Texas over alleged violations of residents’ data privacy rights. Making it one of the largest settlements of this type in U.S. history. The case, originally filed in 2022, focused on Chrome browser’s unlawful tracking and collection of user data, regarding geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data, tracking users’ whereabouts even when the Location History setting was disabled and collecting the biometric data without informed consent.

This follows a similarly sized $1.4 billion settlement Texas reached with Meta last year over claims involving unauthorized use of biometric data from Facebook and Instagram users.

While Texas hailed the outcome as a landmark victory, Google asserts that the agreement does not include any admission of wrongdoing or any changes to its current business practices.

Google spokesman José Castañeda said that Google had already announced or implemented policy updates in response to privacy concerns, independent of the Texas litigation.

The case is the latest in a string of state-level actions challenging how tech companies collect and monetize user data, especially in the absence of federal privacy laws. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other attorneys generals are increasingly positioning themselves as watchdogs of digital privacy amid bipartisan calls for stronger oversight of technology.

For Google, which is already facing federal antitrust trials and regulatory investigations across multiple jurisdictions, the Texas settlement adds to its growing legal ledger. But for state officials, it flags a bigger issue: Tech platforms may operate globally, but they are not immune from local laws – or local penalties.

SOURCE MATERIAL :

The Hacker News : Google Pays $1.375 Billion to Texas Over Unauthorized Tracking and Biometric Data Collection, https://thehackernews.com/2025/05/google-pays-1375-billion-to-texas-over.html by Ravie Lakshmanan, May 10, 2025

The Guardian : Google agrees to pay Texas $1.375bn over data-privacy claims, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/10/google-texas-data-privacy-settlement , May 10, 2025

Press Release : Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Historic $1.375 Billion Settlement with Google Related to Texans’ Data Privacy Rights , May 9 2025

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Press Release : https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-takes-legal-action-against-chinese-companies-violating-texans-privacy May 06, 2025