Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that the Lone Star State will bring a case against Google over the unauthorized collection of biometric data from users without their informed consent, in the latest of a long string of legal cases brought by the Texas AG against the tech giant.
The lawsuit alleges that Google has collected millions of biometric identifiers, including voiceprints and records of face geometry, from Texans through its products and services like Google Photos, Google Assistant, and Nest Hub Max.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Ian Waldie/Getty Images
Texas will argue that Google is in breach of the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, passed in 2009, which prohibits the collection of a person’s biometric data without their informed consent.
The law defines biometric identifiers as “a retina or iris scan, fingerprint, voiceprint, or record of hand or face geometry,” some of which are collected by Google through its products.
“Google’s indiscriminate collection of the personal information of Texans, including very sensitive information like biometric identifiers, will not be tolerated,” Attorney General Paxton said. “I will continue to fight Big Tech to ensure the privacy and security of all Texans.”
This is the latest case in an aggressive legal campaign waged by the state of Texas against Google, arguably the most powerful tech company in the world.
The state has also passed a groundbreaking law against tech censorship, declaring major tech platforms to be common carriers, and allowing users to bring lawsuits against them to restore their accounts. The law also imposes transparency on big tech, forcing them to disclose how they prioritize content in their algorithms.
The tech industry has challenged the law in court. Upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, it is now likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Allum Bokhari is the senior technology correspondent at Breitbart News. He is the author of #DELETED: Big Tech’s Battle to Erase the Trump Movement and Steal The Election.
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