United States of America: Issued ruling in Texas Attorney General's lawsuit against Meta (Facebook) for allegedly using unauthorised biometric data

On 30 July 2024, the District Court of Texas issued a final ruling with a settlement amounting to USD 1.4 billion in favour of the State of Texas in a lawsuit against Meta concerning the company's unauthorised use of biometric data. In particular, the settlement addresses Meta's unlawful practice of capturing and using the personal biometric data of millions of Texas residents without required authorisation under the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act of Texas. The Attorney General of Texas claimed that Facebook collected and used biometric identifiers, such as face geometry, for commercial purposes without consent and emphasised that biometric data, being permanent and unchangeable, poses a heightened threat to individual safety, security, and privacy. The ruling requires Meta to pay USD 1.4 billion over five years and also orders the company to cease capturing biometric data without consent and comply with Texas privacy laws.