Meta to Pay Record $1.4 Billion to Texas for Unauthorized Facial Recognition Use

July 30, 2024
Meta to Pay Record $1.4 Billion to Texas for Unauthorized Facial Recognition Use
  • Meta has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to Texas to resolve a lawsuit concerning the unauthorized use of facial recognition technology.

  • This settlement, which will be paid over five years, is the largest ever obtained from a single state in such cases.

  • The lawsuit claimed that Meta violated Texas state law by capturing and selling residents' biometric information without their consent.

  • Texas law requires companies to inform individuals and obtain consent before capturing biometric identifiers, a requirement Meta allegedly violated.

  • The issue originated from Meta's 'Tag Suggestions' feature, which automatically used facial recognition software on users' uploaded photos.

  • This case marks the first lawsuit and settlement under Texas's 2009 Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier (CUBI) Act.

  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton emphasized that the settlement demonstrates the state's commitment to holding large technology companies accountable for violating privacy rights.

  • The lawsuit could have resulted in fines of up to $35,000 per violation, highlighting the potential severity of the allegations against Meta.

  • In 2021, Meta announced it would shut down its facial recognition system and delete faceprints of over 1 billion people due to privacy concerns.

  • Previously, Facebook faced significant financial penalties, including a $650 million settlement in 2021 for similar data collection practices.

  • The decision regarding the settlement was made public on July 30, 2024, amidst ongoing scrutiny of tech companies over data usage.

Summary based on 16 sources


Get a daily email with more World News stories

More Stories