Texas Sues Google for Collecting Biometric Without Consent

Previously, Google has also been sued for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Consumer Protection Act and for deceptively tracking the location of users.

U.S. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Google for its "unauthorized capture and use" of biometric data of millions of Texans for the tech giant's commercial interests.

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The lawsuit alleges the internet company, without Texans' explicit consent, has collected millions of biometric identifiers, including voiceprints and face geometry, through its products and services like Google Photos, Google Assistant and Nest Hub Max.

"Google's exploitation of the personal information of Texans for its own commercial interests is a knowing violation of the state's Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act," Paxton's office said on Thursday.

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said that Google "will set the record straight in court" and "AG Paxton is once again mischaracterizing our products in another breathless lawsuit."

Violators of the law face fines of up to us $25,000 per violation. The lawsuit is reportedly the latest filed by several states against big tech companies over online privacy.

Paxton has previously filed lawsuits against Google for violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act and for deceptively tracking users' location without their consent.

His latest lawsuit is just one of several domestic and international lawsuits against Google. Within the U.S., for example, Indiana, the state of Washington and the District of Columbia have also sued Google over deceptive location tracking practices that invade users' privacy, as recalled by Reuters.