July 31, 2024 at 01:09AM
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has reached a $1.4 billion settlement with the state of Texas over allegations of unlawfully collecting biometric data from millions of users. The lawsuit accused Meta of violating Texas’ biometric privacy law by using facial recognition software without users’ informed consent. This settlement marks one of the largest penalties against the tech giant.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting Notes:
– Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, agreed to a record $1.4 billion settlement with the U.S. state of Texas over allegations of illegally collecting biometric data of millions of users without their permission.
– The lawsuit accused Meta of violating the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier (CUBI) Act and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act by running facial recognition software on virtually every face contained in the photographs uploaded to Facebook.
– Meta discontinued its “Face Recognition” system altogether in November 2021 and agreed to delete a huge collection of more than a billion users’ facial recognition templates as part of a wider initiative to limit the use of the technology across its products.
– In 2021, Meta also agreed to pay a $650 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit in Illinois over similar allegations related to its face-tagging system under the Biometric Information Privacy Act.
– The state of Texas is also targeting Google for allegedly violating biometric privacy law by gathering voice and facial data through products like Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Nest Hub Max.
These takeaways highlight Meta’s legal actions related to the collection and use of biometric data, as well as the broader regulatory scrutiny of biometric privacy practices in the tech industry.