Texas Settles $1.38 Billion Case with Google

Google has reached a settlement in principle with the state of Texas, agreeing to pay $1.375 billion over allegations that it violated users’ data privacy. This agreement resolves two lawsuits involving three of Google’s products, which Texas officials claimed had breached consumer protection laws. According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the tech giant had been secretly collecting users’ location data, private searches, voiceprints, and facial geometry without proper consent.

Though the full terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, Google confirmed the deal addresses past claims involving Incognito mode, Location History, and biometric data. A spokesperson for the company stated that many of the issues raised had already been resolved elsewhere and that product policies had since been updated. Google did not admit any wrongdoing.

The lawsuits were initially filed in 2022. Paxton emphasized that this was a win for consumer privacy in Texas and reaffirmed that major tech companies would be held accountable. The settlement does not require Google to make changes to its products.