Texas Files Lawsuit Against Google for Gathering Biometric Data Without Permission

Trisha Kae Andrada, Tech Times 20 October 2022, 02:10 pm

On Thursday, Oct. 20, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced filing a new lawsuit against the tech giant Google. According to CNBC's report, The lawsuit alleges that the firm violated the state's biometric data law by failing to get adequate user consent to collect and use voice and face information from millions of consumers in Texas.

Based on the complaint, via CNET's report, millions of users may have been adversely impacted by the alleged breach of a Texas statute that carries penalties of up to $25,000 for each offense.

The numbers pile up rapidly, which does not look good for Google. The fine may easily go into the billions.

Lack of Federal Privacy Legislation in the Various States

Since there is no overarching federal privacy regulation, the role that various states play in safeguarding the information of internet users is brought into focus by the lawsuit. For instance, a class action lawsuit against Facebook that was initiated in Illinois under that state's Biometric Information Privacy Act was resolved last year for $650 million.

This complaint is quite similar to one that Paxton filed against Facebook's parent company, Meta, earlier this year on the same act, which is known as the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act.

Paxton said in each of the pending complaints against the firms that they unlawfully collected consumer biometric information without obtaining their informed permission.

Paxton vs. Google

Paxton alleged in his most recent lawsuit against Google that beginning at least in 2015, Google illegally collected and stored facial and voice recognition information on users through the use of its Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Nest smart-home products without first obtaining adequate consent.

In addition, he asserted that Google made use of the material better to develop its algorithms for artificial intelligence (AI).

"Google's indiscriminate collection of the personal information of Texans, including very sensitive information like biometric identifiers, will not be tolerated," said Paxton in a press release. "I will continue to fight Big Tech to ensure the privacy and security of all Texans."

Paxton has been on the receiving end of legal challenges from Google, in particular, on many occasions at this point. The Texas attorney general is heading a coalition of states that have filed a lawsuit against the corporation on antitrust grounds. The lawsuit alleges that the company unlawfully monopolized the market for internet advertising technologies.

CNBC requested a statement from Google, but the company has not responded yet.

Google's Previous Lawsuit

Earlier this month, Google reached a settlement in another legal case worth $85 million. It addressed the charges saying the company unlawfully tracked the movements of Arizona residents using Android smartphones.

Mark Brnovich, the Attorney General of Arizona, was the one who initiated the legal action in May 2020.

Later on, Google stated that the charges made by the state were already updated a long time ago and that the allegations were based on rules the firm has since revised.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Trisha Kae Andrada