Google has agreed in principle to pay $1.375 billion to resolve two lawsuits brought by the state of Texas over alleged violations of consumer privacy laws. Announced on May 10, 2025, the agreement represents the largest privacy-related settlement Google has reached with a single U.S. state to date.
Biometric and Location Tracking Allegations
The lawsuits, both filed in 2022 by the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused Google of unlawfully collecting and storing users’ personal data without proper consent. The complaints centered on three main allegations: that Google continued to track users’ locations even when Location History settings were turned off, captured private searches conducted in incognito mode, and harvested biometric identifiers, including voiceprints and facial geometry, through services like Google Photos without adequate disclosure or consent.
Paxton described the settlement as a landmark victory for consumer privacy rights, stating, “In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law. For years, Google secretly monitored people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services.”
This agreement follows heightened scrutiny of Google’s data collection practices, particularly in relation to biometric data, and mirrors a similarly high-profile $1.4 billion settlement between Texas and Meta over illegal biometric tracking. Both cases highlight growing state-level action targeting invasive technologies and perceived overreach by major tech platforms.
Terms, Criticism, and Legal Context
Under the settlement terms, Google does not admit any wrongdoing or legal liability. The company is not required to make changes to its products or add new consumer disclosures as part of the agreement, a point that has drawn criticism from some privacy advocates who argue that financial penalties alone may not be enough to deter future misconduct.
A spokesperson for Google, José Castañeda, emphasized that the legal claims were based on “old product policies” and stated the company was “pleased to put them behind us.” Castañeda added that Google has already made revisions to its services and continues to prioritize privacy improvements across its product line.
Indeed, Google has introduced updates in recent years, such as shifting Maps Timeline data storage to local devices and expanding privacy controls for location tracking. However, the absence of mandated operational changes in this settlement has prompted questions about enforcement consistency across jurisdictions.
The resolution is part of a broader pattern of intensified enforcement actions by U.S. states against major technology firms. Google has faced similar lawsuits from other state attorneys general and multi-state coalitions, though it has also won procedural victories in some cases, including jurisdictional rulings that limited discovery obligations.
The Texas agreement still requires final approval from both parties, but if finalized, it will mark one of the largest ever state-level settlements over digital privacy issues. As public concern over data protection continues to mount, this case underscores the evolving expectations facing tech companies around consent, transparency, and biometric data use.
Sources: Security Week, Tech Monitor, Insurance Journal
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May 12, 2025 – by Cass Kennedy
