Meta settles $2 trillion lawsuit with Texas over unauthorized use of biometric data

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to pay $1.4 billion (approximately 1.94 trillion KRW) to settle a privacy lawsuit filed by the state of Texas.

According to local U.S. media such as CNBC on the 30th (local time), Meta agreed to pay $1.4 billion to Texas, which filed the lawsuit claiming that Meta unlawfully used biometric information through its facial recognition technology in 2022, thereby violating residents' privacy. This amount corresponds to 4% of Meta's revenue and 10% of its net profit in the first quarter of last year.

Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, said, "This settlement is the largest agreed upon by any state in similar lawsuits," adding, "This historic settlement demonstrates our commitment to holding the world's largest technology company accountable for violating the law and infringing on the privacy rights of Texas residents."

Meta stated, "We are pleased to resolve this matter," and added, "We look forward to exploring future opportunities to expand our business investments in Texas, including data centers."

Previously, Facebook introduced facial recognition software (SW) in December 2010 that automatically recognized people in users' photo and video albums. Over the following decade, it became popular enough to be used by one-third of all Facebook users. However, concerns were raised that governments, police, and companies could misuse it for surveillance, investigations, or tracking individuals, leading to criticism. Consequently, Facebook announced in November 2021 its plan to discontinue the facial recognition system.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.