Meta Settles Facial Recognition Suit for $1.4B

Published Date: 30/07/2024

Meta agrees to settle a lawsuit with Texas over allegations of using biometric data without user consent, shutting down its facial recognition system and deleting faceprints of over 1 billion people.

"In a historic settlement, Meta has agreed to pay $1.4 billion to the state of Texas, resolving a lawsuit alleging the tech giant used biometric data of users without their permission. This marks the largest settlement secured by a single state, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The lawsuit, filed in 2022, claimed Meta violated a Texas state law that prohibits capturing or selling a resident's biometric information, such as their face or fingerprint, without their consent. Meta's facial recognition system, which was introduced over a decade ago, allowed users to opt-in to have their faces recognized by the social network's system.

However, Meta faced scrutiny from courts and regulators, leading to changes in its facial recognition feature. In 2019, Facebook stopped automatically recognizing people in photos and suggesting people"

FAQs:

"Q: What was the lawsuit against Meta about?

A: The lawsuit alleged that Meta used biometric data of users without their permission, violating a Texas state law that prohibits capturing or selling a resident's biometric information without their consent.

Q: What is facial recognition technology?

A: Facial recognition technology is a biometric system that uses facial features to identify individuals. It can be used for various purposes, including security, law enforcement, and social media applications.

Q: Why did Meta shut down its facial recognition system?

A: Meta shut down its facial recognition system in 2021 due to growing concerns about the technology and its misuse by governments, police, and others.

Q: How many people's faceprints were deleted by Meta?

A: Meta deleted the faceprints of more than one billion people as part of its decision to shut down its facial recognition system.

Q: What is the significance of this settlement?

A: This settlement is significant because it demonstrates the commitment of states to protecting the privacy rights of their residents and holding technology companies accountable for breaking the law and violating individuals' privacy."

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