Google will pay Texas $1.375 billion. The deal ends a case that claimed the firm tracked users without asking. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton shared the news on May 10. His office had filed two suits that said Google kept search logs, location trails, voice clips, and face scans in secret. Paxton called the practice unfair and illegal. As a result, he pushed for one of the largest privacy payments ever won by a single state.
What Texas said Google did
Texas lawyers claimed Google watched people in three main ways: it stored location history, recorded private browsing activity, and captured voice and face patterns. Even when users tapped “Incognito,” the suits said, tracking code still ran. Google, however, denied it broke any rule. The company chose to pay rather than fight for years in court. A spokesperson said Google is “glad to resolve the matter” and will “keep making helpful tools that guard user privacy.” Critics, though, argue the firm must rebuild trust.
Why the deal matters for privacy
The settlement sets a fresh standard. Big Tech once brushed off state claims. Now, states are winning record sums. Paxton said the outcome proves no company sits above the law. In fact, lawmakers in other places have begun new checks on data use. If they find matching facts, they may ask firms to pay as Texas did. Legal scholars note a growing shift: states want stronger roles in guarding digital rights.
How Google gathered so much data
Google’s tools are woven into daily life. Maps logs trips, Photos scans faces, and Assistant listens for commands. Each service, in turn, can add to huge user files. Texas said the company blended those files even when some switches read “off.” For example, a driver who disabled location still shared spot pings each time the phone searched nearby gas prices. Users also thought “Incognito Mode” hid them. Yet hidden code still marked pages and tied them to Google IDs. Lawyers said that gap between promise and fact broke Texas consumer law because it was deceptive.
The special risk of biometric details
Voice prints and face points never change. A stolen fingerprint is lost forever while a stolen password can be reset in minutes. Texas argued that Google’s silent grab of such traits raised the stakes. Law professor Lisa Wong noted that courts treat biometrics with extra care because the harm lasts for life. Texas joins Illinois and other states that sued over face scans. In 2021, Google paid Illinois $100 million to settle a Photo-tag case. Together, these moves hint that more states may soon press claims on voice or image data.
Other fights Google still faces
Texas is only one front. In 2022, forty states won $391.5 million over location tracking. One year later, the U.S. Justice Department and eight states sued Google for ad‐tech control. Europe has its own fines tied to search bias and Android bundles. Each case adds cost and also forces new rules inside Google. Experts say the pileup shows a larger wave. Users, lawmakers, and rivals now question how much power one firm can hold over data and ads. The Texas payment, though large, might be only a part of what is still to come.
Where the money will go
All funds travel straight to the Texas treasury. Lawmakers may steer some cash toward lessons on online safety or future probes into tech abuse. Paxton’s team plans fresh audits of big firms and warns that repeat offenders could face steeper costs. As a result, large platforms may rethink data tactics before Texas—or any state—files again.
Simple steps users can take
The case shows it pays to check settings. First, open Google’s Privacy Checkup page. Next, read each toggle for location, web history, voice logs, and ad profile. Then, switch off any track you do not need. Users should also clear saved voice clips, review face groups in Photos, and repeat the review every few months. While such steps cannot stop every leak, they shrink the data that firms can store. In addition, people can try rival services that promise stronger privacy by default.
A clear signal to Silicon Valley
Texas forced Google to pay a record sum, and many see it as a turning point. States now have proof they can hold tech giants to account. Meanwhile, firms face rising risks if they hide what they collect. Citizens, too, gain a roadmap for better control of their own information.