Facial recognition

Meta pays 1.4 billion dollars in dispute with Texas

Meta has settled a dispute with the US state of Texas with a settlement worth billions of dollars. The Facebook parent company will pay 1.4 billion dollars as part of the agreement, according to documents.

The authorities had accused the company of collecting biometric data from thousands of Texans without their consent. The company had used facial recognition software to examine photos and videos that users uploaded to the online platform.

Meta again rejected the allegation of misconduct, but expressed satisfaction at having closed the case. Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, described the settlement as a sign of the "determination to stand up to the world's largest technology companies and hold them accountable for violations of the law and violations of Texans' privacy rights."

According to legal experts, the settlement is the largest ever received by a US state. Texas is also in court with Alphabet subsidiary Google for allegedly violating laws on the collection of biometric data.