After agreeing to a massive $5.4 billion settlement with Texas on their own. The tech giant recently agreed to pay close to $1.4 billion to settle claims over its illegal data collection practices. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google last year, claiming the company tracked users’ movement, private searches, voiceprints and facial geometry in secret without users’ consent. In the end, the deal did grow to $1.375 billion.
That lawsuit brought to light grave concerns surrounding Google’s data privacy practices. It alleges that the corporation has infringed upon the privacy rights of Texas residents by collecting sensitive information through its various products and services. Attorney General Paxton contended that such tracking makes invasive and unlawful surveillance possible. To defend civil space, he urged action on deep accountability for the tech industry.
Paxton touted his “victory” of a settlement result. When the bill passed overwhelmingly, he called it a “major win for Texans’ privacy.” He underscored the necessity of holding bad actors accountable for their actions, saying “Companies will pay for abusing trust. Paxton’s ad just scratches the surface on a dangerous trend. Consumers are concerned about how big tech companies – aka “Big Tech” – collect and use personal information.
The complaint highlighted some of the tactics used by Google in its pervasive data collection operation. The report exposed the extent to which the company monitored users’ location. Furthermore, it explained their accumulation of private search data and surveillance of voiceprints and facial geometry. Together, these practices sounded the alarm on the erosion of user consent and the level of surveillance ingrained in the technology we encounter every day.
Paxton reaffirmed his commitment to protecting consumer privacy, asserting that “In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law.” We share his unwavering commitment to hold the biggest, most powerful corporations accountable. This shows the continuing trend by state attorneys general to take on the perceived overreach of big tech companies.
The settlement exemplifies a burgeoning wave of litigation against Big Tech firms. States aren’t just sitting around waiting for the federal government to protect their data privacy rights. With this agreement, Texas joins other states that have taken steps to hold tech giants accountable for their data handling practices.