Privacy and consumer protection enforcement actions tracked from official Texas Attorney General sources.
Official enforcement page41
Total Actions
$8.4B
Total Fines
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reached an agreement with Samsung Electronics America, Inc. to stop collecting Automated Content Recognition (ACR) data from smart TVs without consumers' express consent. Samsung must update its smart TVs to provide clear and conspicuous disclosures and obtain consent before any data collection, ensuring Texans are informed and in control of their viewing data.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Shein US Services LLC for selling toxic products and exposing consumers' personal data to the Chinese Communist Party. The lawsuit seeks monetary penalties under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. This action is part of a broader effort to protect Texans from health risks and CCP influence.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Temu (PDD Holdings, Inc. and WhaleCo Inc.) for deceptive marketing practices and illegally harvesting Texans' personal data, which was then exposed to the Chinese Communist Party. The suit seeks monetary damages under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, with potential penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and higher for seniors. This is part of a broader effort to hold CCP-aligned companies accountable.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TP-Link Systems Inc. for deceptively marketing its networking devices and enabling the Chinese Communist Party to access American consumers' devices. The lawsuit alleges that TP Link's products have been used by PRC state-sponsored hackers and that the company is subject to Chinese laws requiring data disclosure. This is part of a coordinated effort to hold China-aligned companies accountable under Texas law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued Civil Investigative Demands to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Conduent Business Services LLC as part of an investigation into a massive data breach at Conduent that exposed the protected health information of approximately four million Texans. The breach occurred between October 21, 2024 and January 13, 2025, affecting Texas Medicaid recipients and other residents. The AG's office is investigating the security failures and compliance with Texas law.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued Civil Investigative Demands to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas and Conduent Business Services LLC to investigate a data breach that exposed the protected health information of approximately four million Texans. The breach occurred from October 21, 2024, to January 13, 2025, and is considered the largest in U.S. history. The investigation focuses on compliance with Texas data protection laws and potential negligence.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL Technology Group for using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology to collect Texans' viewing data without proper consent. A temporary restraining order was secured against Hisense to halt all data collection and sharing. The AG issued a consumer alert with instructions to disable ACR on smart TVs.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton obtained a temporary restraining order against Hisense, a Chinese smart TV manufacturer, to halt its collection of Texans' personal data through Automated Content Recognition technology without consent. The technology captures every sound and image on the TVs every 500 milliseconds and sells the data, with access granted to the Chinese Communist Party. The TRO prohibits Hisense from collecting, using, selling, sharing, disclosing, or transferring ACR data about Texans while the case continues.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits against five major TV manufacturers—Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL—for unlawfully collecting Texans' viewing data using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology without their knowledge or consent. The ACR software captures screenshots of TV displays every 500 milliseconds and transmits the data to the companies, which then sell it for targeted advertising. The AG's office alleges these practices violate Texas privacy laws and seeks to enjoin the companies from continuing the surveillance.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against five major TV manufacturers—Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense, and TCL—for illegally collecting consumers' viewing data through Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology without knowledge or consent. The companies capture screenshots and monitor TV usage in real-time, then sell the data for targeted advertising, risking sensitive information. The suit seeks to halt these invasive practices and protect Texans' privacy.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Epic Systems Corporation for monopolizing the electronic health records market and for deceptive practices that automatically restrict parental access to children's medical records, violating Texas law. The action seeks to restore parental rights and promote competition in the EHR industry.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $1.375 billion settlement with Google for unlawfully tracking Texans' geolocation data, incognito browsing activity, and biometric identifiers without consent. This is the largest single-state privacy settlement against Google, significantly larger than multistate settlements. The agreement resolves two major privacy enforcement actions brought by Texas.
$1.4B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured an agreement with Austin Diagnostic Clinic to end its policy of restricting parental access to children's electronic health records. The clinic must restore full, real-time access to parents, except where prohibited by law, upholding parental rights under Texas Health & Safety Code § 183.006(b).
The Texas Attorney General opened an investigation into TP-Link Systems Inc. for potentially allowing the Chinese government to access Texans' consumer data through back doors in networking equipment. The investigation will examine whether TP Link violated Texas privacy law by misleading consumers about its independence and improperly collecting or disclosing data. This follows a prior privacy notice violation issued to the company.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against PowerSchool, a provider of cloud-based services for K-12 schools, following a data breach that exposed the personal and health information of over 880,000 Texas school-aged children and teachers. The breach occurred in December 2024 when a hacker gained administrative access through a subcontractor's account and stole unencrypted data including Social Security numbers, medical details, and disability records. The lawsuit alleges PowerSchool violated Texas law by failing to implement basic security measures and by misleading customers about its security practices.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Meta AI Studio and Character.AI for deceptive practices in marketing AI chatbots as mental health services to children. The platforms are accused of impersonating licensed professionals, fabricating qualifications, and exploiting user data for advertising without proper disclosure. Civil Investigative Demands have been issued to examine violations of Texas consumer protection laws and the SCOPE Act.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a record-setting $1.4 billion settlement with Meta for unlawfully capturing and using the biometric data of millions of Texans, marking one of the largest privacy settlements in U.S. history.
$1.4B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a comprehensive privacy enforcement initiative, achieving record settlements with Meta ($1.4B) and Google ($1.375B) for biometric and geolocation data violations, suing General Motors and TikTok, and investigating numerous companies for children's data and AI practices. The AG's office has enforced multiple Texas privacy laws and registered over 200 data brokers.
$2.8B
The Supreme Court upheld a Texas law requiring pornography websites to implement age-verification measures to protect children from explicit content. Attorney General Ken Paxton is enforcing the law with fines for violations and has sued Aylo Global Entertainment for non-compliance.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit in the 23andMe bankruptcy case to prevent the sale of Texans' genetic data without proper consent. The action seeks to confirm Texans' property rights over their genetic information under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act and the Texas Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Act. The AG argues that 23andMe's proposed asset sale would violate Texas law requiring separate express consent for disclosure of genetic information.
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Google for unlawfully tracking and collecting Texans' private data, including geolocation, incognito searches, and biometric data. The case resulted in a $1.375 billion settlement, the largest ever against Google for state privacy enforcement, marking a major win for data privacy rights.
$1.4B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has issued notices to several Chinese companies, including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut, for violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies must comply with TDPSA's requirements to disclose data processing, allow opt-outs, and enable data deletion within 30 days, or face further legal action.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced legal action against several Chinese companies, including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut, for violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies have been given 30 days to comply with requirements to disclose data processing, allow consumers to opt out of data collection, and enable data deletion. Failure to comply will result in further legal action to protect Texans' privacy rights and prevent data from being accessed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has notified several Chinese companies, including TP-Link, Alibaba, and CapCut, that they are violating the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). The companies must comply with TDPSA requirements to disclose data processing, allow consumer opt-outs, and enable data deletion within 30 days. Failure to comply will result in further legal action.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a motion to appoint a Consumer Privacy Ombudsman in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy case of 23andMe to protect the sensitive genetic and personal data of Texans. The genetic testing company seeks to sell assets that may include genetic data, health information, and personally identifiable information. The AG's office is also informing Texans of their rights under Texas law to request deletion of their data and genetic samples.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Superior Insurance for allegedly using private investigators to spy on lawmakers, journalists, and private citizens with pending insurance claims. The company's CEO admitted to these actions at a legislative hearing, citing concerns about blackmail and leveraging information to secure state contracts and avoid paying legitimate claims, particularly for medical bills.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into DeepSeek, a Chinese AI company, for potential violations of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act. The AG has notified DeepSeek of the violations and issued Civil Investigative Demands to Google and Apple to obtain information about the DeepSeek app. Additionally, DeepSeek's platform has been banned from all OAG devices due to security concerns.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defended House Bill 1181 at the U.S. Supreme Court, which requires online pornography sites to verify users' ages to protect children from harmful content. The law was challenged by pornography distributors, but Texas won at the Fifth Circuit and is now defending its constitutionality. Texas has also sued Aylo Global Entertainment for non-compliance, leading to Pornhub's shutdown in Texas.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Allstate and its subsidiary Arity for unlawfully collecting, using, and selling driving data from over 45 million consumers without consent. The data, which includes precise geolocation information, was used to justify insurance premium increases. This action alleges violations of the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA).
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for deceptively promoting its app as safe for children despite the prevalence of inappropriate and explicit content. The action alleges violations of the SCOPE Act, which protects children's online privacy, and follows a previous lawsuit regarding data privacy issues.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced investigations into 15 companies, including Character.AI, Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, for potential violations of the SCOPE Act and TDPSA concerning children's privacy. The investigations target practices such as unauthorized sharing of minors' personal data and failure to provide parental controls. This action is part of Texas's broader initiative to enforce data privacy laws.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched investigations into Character.AI and fourteen other companies, including Reddit, Instagram, and Discord, for potential violations of the SCOPE Act and TDPSA regarding children's privacy and safety. The investigations focus on unauthorized sharing of minors' data and lack of parental controls. No penalties have been imposed yet as the investigations are ongoing.
Marriott International, Inc. suffered a data breach exposing 131 million guest records, including personal and payment information. The Texas Attorney General secured a $3.5 million settlement as part of a $52 million multistate agreement, requiring Marriott to enhance its data security practices with zero-trust principles and regular reporting to the CEO.
$52.0M
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against TikTok for sharing minors' personal identifying information without parental consent, violating the SCOPE Act. The AG is seeking civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and injunctive relief to prevent future violations.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton settled with Pieces Technologies for making deceptive claims about the accuracy of its healthcare AI products used in Texas hospitals. The company advertised an error rate of '<1 per 100,000' which was found inaccurate. The settlement requires Pieces to accurately disclose product accuracy and ensure hospital staff understand the limitations.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against General Motors for unlawfully collecting and selling private driving data of over 1.5 million Texans without their knowledge or consent. GM used vehicle-installed technology to gather detailed driving data and sold it to insurance companies, deceiving customers about enrollment in services like OnStar Smart Driver. The action seeks to halt GM's privacy violations and obtain redress for affected consumers.
Meta captured facial recognition data from millions of Texans without consent, violating Texas biometric privacy laws. The company agreed to pay $1.4 billion over five years to settle the case. This is the largest privacy settlement obtained by a single state.
$1.4B
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sent notification letters to over 100 companies for failing to register as data brokers under Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 509, which requires registration by March 1, 2024, and implementation of data safeguards. This action is part of an initiative to enforce privacy laws and protect consumer data.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued warning letters to over 100 data brokers for failing to register with the Texas Secretary of State as required by the Texas Data Broker Law. The law, which took effect March 1, 2024, mandates that data brokers register and implement data protection safeguards. This enforcement action is part of a new initiative to protect Texans' privacy.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into multiple car manufacturers for collecting and selling driver data to third parties, including insurance companies, without consumers' knowledge or consent. The investigation, conducted under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices – Consumer Protection Act, seeks documents about data collection practices and disclosures made to customers. The AG's office is concerned about invasive data collection and potential deceptive practices.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a settlement with Multi Media, LLC, operator of Chaturbate, for violating Texas age verification law HB 1181. The company agreed to implement an age verification service on its website to prevent minors from accessing adult content. No monetary penalty was imposed in this settlement.