Meta Settles Texas Biometric Data Lawsuit for Record $1.4 Billion
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reached a significant settlement with the State of Texas. The $1.4 billion agreement, announced in October 2025, resolves a lawsuit over the unauthorized collection and use of Texans' biometric data. This marks the largest privacy settlement in U.S. history, surpassing Google's $391.5 million settlement in 2021.
The lawsuit, filed in February 2022 by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, alleged that Meta violated the state's Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier (CUBI) Act and The Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The primary issue was Meta's use of facial recognition software in the Tag Suggestions feature on Facebook, which operated without user consent. This practice was paused in June 2024 following privacy concerns.
As part of the settlement, Meta has agreed to stop the practice of capturing personal biometric data of Texans. The company will make payments over the next five years to fulfill this $1.4 billion agreement. This settlement follows a similar case against Clearview AI, which reached a $1.4 billion settlement in Texas in October 2025 for unauthorized collection and use of biometric data.
The Meta settlement sends a strong message about the importance of user consent and privacy protection in the digital age. It sets a new precedent for privacy settlements in the U.S., surpassing Google's previous record. With this agreement, Meta will cease its controversial practice of capturing personal biometric data of Texans without consent.
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