Texas leads the nation in privacy enforcement with record-breaking Google case

Austin, Texas – In a groundbreaking legal victory, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has reached a landmark $1.375 billion settlement with tech giant Google over violations of Texans’ data privacy rights. The agreement, which is still pending final approval, marks the largest sum ever secured by a single state against the company for privacy-related infractions.

The case stems from a 2022 lawsuit filed by Paxton, which accused Google of systematically and secretly harvesting sensitive personal data from users. The allegations included the unauthorized tracking of users’ physical locations, monitoring of private browsing activities—even in “incognito” mode—and the unlawful collection of biometric information such as voiceprints and facial geometry.

Paxton’s aggressive legal strategy placed Texas at the forefront of the national fight to rein in Big Tech’s misuse of personal information. While other states have pursued similar cases—often joining together in multistate efforts—none have come close to the scale of Texas’s recovery. The next largest settlement reached by a coalition of 40 states amounted to $391 million, highlighting the significance of Texas’s solo $1.375 billion result.

“In Texas, Big Tech is not above the law,” Paxton stated following the announcement. “For years, Google secretly tracked people’s movements, private searches, and even their voiceprints and facial geometry through their products and services. I fought back and won.”

This is not Paxton’s first high-profile action against a tech firm. Just last year, his office finalized a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta over the misuse of facial recognition technology. He has also previously secured settlements totaling over $700 million from Google related to antitrust and deceptive practices.

According to Paxton’s office, this latest agreement reinforces Texas’s leadership in defending personal data and sets a new national benchmark for holding corporations accountable under state privacy laws. The Attorney General also credited the legal team at Norton Rose Fulbright for their support as outside counsel throughout the case.

As the digital world continues to grow, Paxton has made it clear that his office will remain vigilant. “I will always protect Texans by stopping Big Tech’s attempts to make a profit by selling away our rights and freedoms.”