A settlement has been reached in an anti-privacy lawsuit against Meta in the state of Texas. The legal proceedings found Meta did not seek consent from users to collect and use their personal data, which can be used to target advertising campaigns to users. The proper use of biometrics to police 18 and above users on these platforms is still only a voluntary measure in some cases whilst online safety laws are finalised against the biggest tech firms.
Biometric data was obtained from users without their consent. As U.S. states devise their own legislation for privacy, it can be difficult to secure a ruling that holds big tech firms to account; for example, Meta, TikTok and Twitter have all come under fire for lacklustre online safety.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton noted the settlement was a huge milestone for Texas and demonstrated “commitment to standing up to the world’s biggest technology companies and holding them accountable”.
Illinois also closed a settlement against Meta in 2021 for US$650 million.
