Google has reached a settlement with the state of Texas for approximately 2 trillion won due to allegations of illegally collecting user biometric information.
According to foreign media reports on the 10th (local time), Google has agreed to pay the largest settlement ever related to privacy violations by a single state in the U.S. for allegations of illegal collection of location information, secret mode searches, and biometric information. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that Google would pay $1.4 billion (1.959 trillion won) to resolve allegations that it collected data without user consent.
Texas filed a lawsuit in October 2022, alleging that Google collected biometric data from millions of Texas residents without consent through its products and services, including Google Photos, Assistant, and Nest. The state viewed Google's actions as violations of the Biometric Information Privacy Act (CUBI) enacted in 2009. Corporations are required to inform and obtain consent from individuals before collecting biometric identifiers for commercial purposes, yet Google allegedly collected the information unlawfully without this process. The state government is suing corporations that have violated this law on behalf of consumers.
Minister Paxton noted, regarding the settlement, that it sends a message that "we will never allow technology corporations to profit by selling off our rights and freedoms," stating that "Google has secretly tracked people's movements, private searches, voices, and facial structures through its products and services for years."
Jose Castaneda, a Google spokesperson, said, "The company has already changed its product policies," noting that it is "addressing several past claims."