Texas sues Meta for Facebook’s facial recognition policy

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton takes Meta to court over its facial recognition on Facebook. The lawsuit filed in the state district court says Meta’s Facebook photo tagging system desecrated the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier (CUBI) Act.

Texas is seeking financial damages and ending any unapproved use of Texans’ biometric data.

The CUBI Act restrictions, passed in 2009, require obtaining cognizant consent before collecting biometric data like facial geometry. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook scanned user photos without permission and downplayed that its automated tagging system amounted to mass biometric data collection.

In a statement, Attorney General Ken Paxton said that this was yet another example of Big Tech’s deceitful business practices and must be stopped. He stated that he would continue to fight for every Texans’ privacy and security.

When asked about the lawsuit, a Meta spokesperson said they were claims without merit and would defend themselves vigorously.

In a November 2021 blog post, Meta said that it was shutting down a facial recognition system and would delete over a billion people’s information. The company cited concerns about the use of the technology and uncertainty over the rules of its use.

Texas is one of the rare U.S. states along with Illinois and Washington with biometric privacy law.