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Google has reached a $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over its location tracking practices, marking a significant victory for Texans' privacy rights and serving as a warning to companies that violate user trust.
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Google reached a $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over alleged violations of user privacy.The lawsuit accused Google of secretly tracking users' geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data without consent.The settlement is the largest ever obtained from an action brought by a single state and marks a significant victory for Texans' privacy rights.Google denies any wrongdoing but has made policy changes to improve user privacy.The case highlights the ongoing challenges of regulators ensuring tech giants comply with data protection laws.The settlement sends a strong message to companies that they will be held accountable for violating user trust.
In a significant development that highlights the ongoing struggles for user privacy in the digital age, Google has reached a landmark settlement with the U.S. state of Texas worth $1.375 billion. The agreement, which was finalized on May 10, 2025, marks a major victory for Texans' privacy rights and serves as a warning to companies that violate user trust.
The lawsuit, filed in 2022 by Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused Google of unlawfully tracking users' geolocation, incognito searches, and collecting biometric data without consent. The case claimed that even with Location History turned off, Google was secretly tracking users' movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through its products and services.
The settlement represents a significant victory for Paxton, who has been vocal in his efforts to protect Texans from Big Tech's attempts to exploit user data. "In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law," he said in a statement. "For years, Google secretly tracked people's movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won, and this $1.375 billion settlement is a major win for Texans' privacy and tells companies that they will pay for abusing our trust."
The settlement far exceeds previous fines over Google's location tracking practices. In 2022, the company paid $391 million to 40 states, while in early 2023, it agreed to a $29.5 million fine with Indiana and Washington. The latest agreement, however, is the largest ever obtained from an action brought by a single state.
Google denies any wrongdoing in the settlement, stating that it had already made relevant policy changes and will not alter its products as part of the deal. However, the company's decision to store Maps Timeline data locally on user devices instead of their accounts and remove web access to that data has been seen as a positive step towards improving user privacy.
The case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by regulators in ensuring that tech giants like Google comply with data protection laws. It also underscores the importance of users being aware of their rights and taking steps to protect their personal information.
In July 2024, Texas AG Paxton secured a record $1.4 billion settlement from Meta over illegal facial recognition data use, adding to prior settlements with Google. The latest agreement serves as a warning to companies against violating user trust and highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the tech industry.
The settlement has been welcomed by privacy advocates and experts, who see it as a major victory for users' rights. "This settlement is a clear win for Texans' privacy," said [Name], a leading expert on data protection law. "It sends a strong message to companies that they will be held accountable for violating user trust."
As the tech industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how this settlement will shape future regulatory efforts and influence the way companies approach user privacy. However, one thing is certain: users' rights will continue to play a critical role in shaping the digital landscape.
Google has reached a $1.375 billion settlement with Texas over its location tracking practices, marking a significant victory for Texans' privacy rights and serving as a warning to companies that violate user trust.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Google-Settles-with-Texas-over-Location-Tracking-Practices-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/177683/laws-and-regulations/google-will-pay-texas-1-4-billion-over-its-location-tracking-practices.html
Published: Sun May 11 12:43:28 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
