Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Wins $1.4 Billion Settlement from Meta Over Biometric Data Collection

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a massive $1.4 billion settlement from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, over allegations that it unlawfully collected users’ facial and biometric data without their knowledge.

According to Paxton, Meta introduced a “tag” feature in 2011 that utilized software to recognize and categorize faces in photos. However, the company failed to adequately inform users about how this technology worked, violating state laws governing biometric data usage and deceptive trade practices.

Paxton emphasized that Meta had been running facial recognition software on virtually every uploaded photo on Facebook for over a decade, capturing detailed facial geometry data without consent. The $1.4 billion settlement, the largest ever obtained by a single state against a business, will be paid out over five years.

In response to the settlement, a Meta spokesperson expressed satisfaction with resolving the matter and expressed interest in expanding business investments in Texas, potentially including the development of data centers.

Ken Paxton, known for his conservative stance and criticism of tech giants, has been a vocal advocate for holding large technology companies accountable for privacy violations. Despite facing impeachment charges last year, Paxton has been suggested as a potential U.S. Attorney General in a second Trump administration.

This landmark settlement underscores the importance of protecting Texans’ privacy rights and sending a strong message to tech companies that misuse of sensitive data will not be tolerated.