Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

What We Know About the Idaho Shooting That Killed 2 Firefighters

13 minutes ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

50 minutes ago

Elon Musk Says Senate Bill Would Destroy Jobs and Harm US

51 minutes ago

Israel Strikes Pound Gaza, Killing 60, Ahead of US Talks on Ceasefire

2 hours ago

Trump’s Administration Finds Harvard Violated Students’ Civil Rights, WSJ Reports

3 hours ago

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

2 days ago

US Consumer Spending Falls as Trump Tariff’s Muddle Economy

3 days ago

Motorcycle Collides With Tractor in Fatal Fresno County Collision

3 days ago
Meta Agrees to $1.4B Settlement With Texas in Privacy Lawsuit Over Facial Recognition
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 11 months ago on
July 30, 2024

The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Meta failed to take down an AI-generated intimate image of an Indian female public figure that violated its policies until the company's review board got involved, the panel said in a decision on two deepfake cases released Thursday, July 25, 2024. (AP File)

Share

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

AUSTIN, Texas — Meta has agreed to a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas in a privacy lawsuit over claims that the tech giant used biometric data of users without their permission, officials said Tuesday.

Largest Settlement Secured By a Single State

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the settlement is the largest secured by a single state. In 2021, a judge approved a $650 million settlement with the company, formerly known as Facebook, over similar claims of users in Illinois.

“This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable for breaking the law and violating Texans’ privacy rights,” Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement.

Meta said in a statement: “We are pleased to resolve this matter, and look forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers.”

Filed in 2022, the Texas lawsuit alleged that Meta was in violation of a state law that prohibits capturing or selling a resident’s biometric information, such as their face or fingerprint, without their consent.

Meta Announced in 2021 That They Will Shut Down Face-Recognition

The company announced in 2021 that it was shutting down its face-recognition system and delete the faceprints of more than 1 billion people amid growing concerns about the technology and its misuse by governments, police and others.

At the time, more than a third of Facebook’s daily active users had opted in to have their faces recognized by the social network’s system. Facebook introduced facial recognition more than a decade earlier but gradually made it easier to opt out of the feature as it faced scrutiny from courts and regulators.

Facebook in 2019 stopped automatically recognizing people in photos and suggesting people “tag” them, and instead of making that the default, asked users to choose if they wanted to use its facial recognition feature.

The $1.4 billion is unlikely to make a dent in Meta’s business. The Menlo Park, California-based tech made a profit of $12.37 billion in the first three months of this year, Its revenue was $36.46 billion, an increase of 27% from a year earlier. Meta is scheduled to report its second-quarter earnings results on Wednesday.

Meta’s stock slipped $4.06 to $461.65 Tuesday, a decline of less than 1%.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

I Detest Netanyahu, but on Some Things He’s Actually Right

DON'T MISS

University of Virginia President Resigns Under Pressure From Trump Administration

DON'T MISS

How Did the Supreme Court Rule? Here’s a Look at the Big Cases

DON'T MISS

Mamdani’s NYC Primary Win Sparks Surge in Anti-Muslim Posts, Advocates Say

DON'T MISS

Trump Sends in DOGE to Slash Federal Gun Regulations by July 4

DON'T MISS

Tensions Flare at Announcement of Major Fresno County Gang Takedown

DON'T MISS

Measure C ‘Blackmailed’ As Fresno Enviro Coalition Gets Huge Say on Transportation Tax

DON'T MISS

Despite $49M Deficit, Fresno Unified Gives Top Brass 5% Raise, 3% One-Time Bonus

DON'T MISS

US Consumer Spending Falls as Trump Tariff’s Muddle Economy

DON'T MISS

US Supreme Court Preserves Key Element of Obamacare

UP NEXT

Teamsters President Urges Congress to Scrap AI State Law Ban

UP NEXT

US Investor Strikes $1 Billion Merger to Create Bitcoin Treasury Company

UP NEXT

Wall Street Indexes Climb After Israel-Iran Ceasefire

UP NEXT

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

UP NEXT

The Secret to Finding the Best Travel Bargains

UP NEXT

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get a 400% Pay Raise

UP NEXT

Wall Street Perks Up, Oil Dips After Trump’s Middle East Delay

UP NEXT

Massive Security Breach: 16 Billion Passwords Leaked From Apple, Google, Facebook Accounts

UP NEXT

Landlords Say They’re Struggling. Rents Keep Going Up. What Gives?

UP NEXT

Bay Area Transit Systems Want More Money. But Their Payrolls Soared as Ridership Declined

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Anthony Michael Caldwell

43 minutes ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

50 minutes ago

Elon Musk Says Senate Bill Would Destroy Jobs and Harm US

51 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Suspect With Loaded Gun During Traffic Stop

58 minutes ago

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

1 hour ago

CA’s Population Shrank in Trump’s First Immigration Crackdown. It Could Happen Again

1 hour ago

Iran-Linked Hackers May Target US Firms and Critical Infrastructure, US Government Warns

1 hour ago

Oil Prices Slip on Easing Middle East Risks

2 hours ago

Jury in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Sex Trafficking Trial to Start Deliberating

2 hours ago

Robinhood Launches Tokens Allowing EU Users to Trade in US Stocks

2 hours ago

Israel Acknowledges Palestinian Civilians Harmed at Gaza Aid Sites, Says ‘Lessons Learned’

The Israeli military acknowledged on Monday that Palestinian civilians were harmed at aid distribution centers in the Gaza Strip, saying tha...

4 minutes ago

Women embrace, while mourning loved ones, during the funeral of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire yesterday, as they sought aid in northern Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry, at Al-Shifa Hospital, in Gaza City, June 19, 2025. (Reuters File)
4 minutes ago

Israel Acknowledges Palestinian Civilians Harmed at Gaza Aid Sites, Says ‘Lessons Learned’

Idaho Firefighters Shot and Killed
13 minutes ago

What We Know About the Idaho Shooting That Killed 2 Firefighters

Immigrant workers harvest crops during the weekend, as labor shortages risk leaving fields unpicked, in Oxnard, California, U.S., June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares
25 minutes ago

Immigration Raids Leave Crops Unharvested, California Farms at Risk

Anthony Michael Caldwell is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for June 30, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
43 minutes ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Anthony Michael Caldwell

50 minutes ago

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

51 minutes ago

Elon Musk Says Senate Bill Would Destroy Jobs and Harm US

A Fresno driver was arrested for DUI and multiple weapon charges after officers found a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number during a traffic stop near Belmont Avenue. (Fresno PD)
58 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest DUI Suspect With Loaded Gun During Traffic Stop

Palestinians gather to receive aid supplies in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, June 17, 2025. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
1 hour ago

Israel Faces Genocide Accusations Amid Gaza Food Aid Killings

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend