Google agrees to pay Texas $1.4 billion in a data privacy settlement.

Google has agreed to pay approximately $1.375 billion to the state of Texas to resolve allegations that it violated residents’ data privacy rights, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Friday.

The lawsuit, originally filed in 2022, accused Google of unlawfully collecting and tracking users’ personal data. The settlement resolves claims from two separate lawsuits and marks the largest agreement reached by any state with Google over data privacy concerns.

This deal follows another major win for Texas — a $1.4 billion settlement Paxton secured from Meta (parent company of Facebook and Instagram) about ten months ago over unauthorized use of users’ biometric data.

“Big Tech is not above the law in Texas,” Paxton stated. “For years, Google tracked people’s locations, private searches, and even biometric data like voiceprints and facial features without proper consent. We fought back and won. This settlement is a huge victory for Texans and sends a clear message: companies will face consequences for violating our trust.”

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda clarified that the company did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The agreement involves claims tied to Chrome’s incognito mode, location tracking in Google Maps, and biometric data use in Google Photos. Castaneda added that Google will not be required to alter its products as part of the deal, and any relevant policy changes had already been made before the settlement.

“This closes out a number of old claims, most of which have been dealt with elsewhere,” Castaneda said. “We’re glad to move forward and remain committed to strong privacy protections in our services.”