Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reached a landmark $1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas on Tuesday. The settlement was in response to allegations that Meta had unlawfully gathered facial recognition data on millions of users, violating Texas state laws.
Texas Attorney General’s Statement
Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, hailed the agreement as a significant step towards holding major technology companies accountable for infringing on privacy rights. He mentioned that the settlement, the largest of its kind by a U.S. state, sends a clear message that Texas will not tolerate any misuse of its residents’ sensitive data.
Privacy Laws and Enforcement
States like Texas, Illinois, and Washington have been at the forefront of enforcing stringent privacy laws, especially in the absence of a comprehensive federal privacy law. Texas specifically has a Biometric Identifier law that mandates companies to obtain consent before using biometric technologies such as facial recognition.
Details of the Lawsuit
The lawsuit against Meta focused on the company’s “tag suggestions” feature, which utilized facial recognition software to automatically tag individuals in photos without user consent, a direct violation of Texas’ privacy laws. Meta introduced this feature in 2011, and Texas alleged that it was enabled by default, disregarding the requirement for user permission.
Meta’s Response
In response to the settlement, a Meta spokesperson stated that while the company did not admit to any wrongdoing, they were pleased to resolve the matter. Additionally, Meta expressed interest in potentially expanding their business investments in Texas, including the development of data centers.
