In a move that puts Big Tech on notice, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a monumental $1.375 billion settlement with Google over alleged data privacy violations, as per an announcement on the Texas Attorney General's Office website yesterday. This settlement is touted as the largest any attorney general has obtained concerning state privacy laws, dwarfing previous sums recovered from Google by a significant margin.
The lawsuit, which Paxton filed back in 2022, accused Google of illicitly harvesting Texans' geolocation, incognito search information, and even biometric data – the settlement following years of what has been described as "aggressive litigation" makes it clear that the cost of disregarding user privacy is steep, setting a precedent that other states eyes wide open could follow in their stride. "In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law," Paxton proclaimed, reiterating his commitment to protect the privacy rights of his constituents against corporate encroachments, according to the Texas Attorney General's Office.
Paxton's leadership in tackling Big Tech's overreach has been integral to elevating Texas's position as a defender of data privacy, notably with the Office's pioneering creation of a substantial data privacy and security initiative. This is not Paxton's first rodeo with tech giants – in July, he boasted a hefty $1.4 billion win over Meta, formerly Facebook, regarding the misuse of facial recognition technology, and he has previously brokered smaller yet substantial settlements with Google for various other infractions.
Thanking the legal team from Norton Rose Fulbright for their support in the Google case, Paxton sends a clear message that Texas is serious about holding tech companies accountable, this settlement not only signifies a win in terms of monetary compensation but also underscores the growing urgency for regulatory frameworks that safeguard personal data in the digital age.
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