United StatesTechnology and telecom2011 – ongoing

Meta Platforms

Facebook Tag Suggestions facial recognition

Meta agreed to a $1.4 billion Texas settlement over Facebook's collection of facial data

StoppedRegulator, audit or court

Problem

Facebook wanted to make naming people in uploaded photographs easier for users.

Approach

Facebook introduced Tag Suggestions in 2011 and used facial recognition to suggest names. Texas alleged that the company collected facial geometry without the required informed consent. The state announced a settlement in July 2024.

Results

$1.4 billionsettlement announced by the Texas attorney generalRegulator, audit or court[1]

Takeaway

The financial consequence concerned permission to collect biometric data, rather than recognition accuracy.

Sources

Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures $1.4 Billion Settlement with Meta Over Its Unauthorized Capture of Personal Biometric Data In Largest Settlement Ever Obtained From An Action Brought By A Single State
Office of the Attorney General of Texas30 Jul 2024Regulator, audit or court document

Source summaries

[1]Office of the Attorney General of Texas30 Jul 2024

Texas announced a $1.4 billion settlement over Facebook's biometric data collection. It linked the collection to Tag Suggestions and alleged that users had not given the consent required by state law.

Full details are in the original sources.

Added 1 Nov 2026 · Updated 1 Nov 2026