Penalty Amount
$1,400,000,000
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.
Meta agreed to pay $1.4 billion and must comply with Texas biometric data laws, including reforms to its data collection and use practices.
Entity
Meta Platforms, Inc.
Also known as: Meta
Industry
Social MediaOfficial Press Release
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-leads-nation-protecting-americans-data-privacy-and-security-big-tech
attorney general ken paxton secures 14 billion settlement me
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-secures-14-billion-settlement-meta-over-its-unauthorized-capture
Texas Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection/privacy
Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys general in urging Meta Platforms to protect users from fraudulent investment ads on Facebook that facilitate pump-and-dump schemes, causing significant financial losses. The coalition calls for enhanced ad review processes, including human review for investment ads, and suggests ceasing investment ads if scams cannot be curbed.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general in sending a letter to Meta Platforms, Inc. to address the rising number of Facebook and Instagram account takeovers by scammers. The coalition criticizes Meta's inadequate security measures and calls for improved protections including multi-factor authentication, increased staffing for response, and stronger enforcement against scammers. The letter urges Meta to take immediate action to safeguard user accounts from hijacking and fraud.
New Jersey, leading a coalition of 41 other attorneys general, sued Meta for knowingly designing addictive Instagram and Facebook features targeting children and teens while falsely claiming the platforms were safe. The lawsuit alleges Meta collected personal data from users under 13 without parental consent, violating the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and state consumer protection laws like the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act.
New Jersey is co-leading a nationwide investigation into whether Instagram and its parent company Meta Platforms, Inc. are violating state consumer protection laws by employing techniques that induce children, teenagers, and young adults to use the platform in potentially harmful ways. The bipartisan coalition of attorneys general is examining the potential mental and physical health harms resulting from extended engagement, including depression, anxiety, and body image issues.
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.