Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META, ETR:FB2A, SWX:FB) will pay US$1.4 billion to settle a lawsuit in Texas alleging the social media giant took users’ biometric data without consent.
Facebook owner Meta had been accused of breaking the state’s laws against taking residents’ biometric information, such as face or fingerprints, without permission.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton noted the settlement was the largest to have been secured by a single state, adding it showed a “commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable”.
Filed in 2022, the Texas lawsuit came after Meta saw a US$650 million payment to settle a class action lawsuit in Illinois over similar claims approved in 2021.
“We are pleased to resolve this matter, and look forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas,” Meta said in a statement.
This includes “potentially developing data centres,” the company added.
Meta had announced its facial recognition system would be shut down in 2021 after over a decade, with more than a billion faceprints set to be deleted under the move.
Shares in Meta dipped in after-hours trading.