Google Reaches $1.4 Billion Privacy Settlement With Texas

State Accused Tech Giant of Geolocation, Incognito Search, Biometric Violations Mathew J. Schwartz (euroinfosec) • May 12, 2025

Texas reached a nearly $1.4 billion settlement agreement with technology giant Alphabet after accusing its Google subsidiary of violating state privacy laws.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google twice in 2022, accusing the tech giant of deploying facial and voice recognition technology in consumer products, capturing biometric data without informed consent. He also accused Google of misrepresenting the privacy protections of its Chrome browser Incognito mode and of tracking users' location even if they turn off geolocation feaures.

"For years, Google secretly tracked people's movements, private searches and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services," said Paxton in a Friday statement. "This $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans' privacy ...