Texas Triumphs: Google Forks Over $1.4B in Mega Privacy Settlement Fiasco
Google will pay Texas a whopping $1.4 billion for tracking locations and storing biometric data without knocking first. This settlement sets a record, dwarfing other states’ settlements like a Texan cowboy towering over city slickers. In the Lone Star State, Google learned the hard way that messing with privacy comes with a hefty price tag.
Hot Take:
Google’s paying $1.4 billion to Texas for playing hide and seek with user data. Looks like even the almighty tech giant isn’t above the Lone Star State’s privacy sheriff, Attorney General Ken Paxton. With this hefty fine, Google might finally learn that Texans aren’t fans of unauthorized surveillance, unless you’re talking about a cowboy on a cattle drive. Yeehaw for privacy!
Key Points:
– Google coughs up $1.4 billion to Texas for unauthorized location tracking and biometric data retention.
– This settlement surpasses all previous fines for similar violations, dwarfing a $391 million multi-state settlement.
– Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated the victory as a major privacy win for Texans.
– Google denies wrongdoing but agrees to the settlement without altering current product operations.
– Future changes include Google storing Maps Timeline data locally on user devices from December 2024.