Meta to pay Texas $1.4 billion for using facial recognition technology without users’ permission

Facebook’s parent company Meta will pay Texas $1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of using personal biometric data without users’ authorization.

The 2022 lawsuit, filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in state court, alleged that Meta had been using facial recognition software on photos uploaded to Facebook without Texans’ consent. Paxton announced the settlement on Tuesday.

Paxton’s office said this is the largest settlement ever obtained by a single state, and the largest settlement related to privacy a state attorney general has ever secured. The settlement will be paid over five years.