Google to Pay $1.375 Billion in Landmark Texas Privacy Settlement

In one of the largest privacy settlements in U.S. history, Google has agreed to pay $1.375 billion to the state of Texas over allegations that it unlawfully collected and used users’ personal data without their consent. The lawsuit, brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused the tech giant of harvesting biometric data—including facial recognition and voiceprints—as well as location and search history, even when users browsed in Incognito mode.

Filed in 2022, the case highlighted how Google allegedly tracked Texans through services like Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Location History, violating the state’s consumer protection laws. Although Google did not admit wrongdoing, it stated that the practices in question have since been modified and policies updated.

This settlement is the largest ever secured by a single state against Google and nearly matches Meta’s $1.3 billion fine from the European Union in 2023 over data privacy violations. While no product changes were mandated in the agreement, the case underscores the mounting pressure on Big Tech to safeguard user privacy and operate transparently.