There are plenty of reasons why Americans have been wary of Facebook’s ever-larger technological footprint, and the good people of Texas are now preparing to do something about it.
The massive social media company has had its fair share of controversies of late, largely centered around their ethically-ambiguous data harvesting protocols.
Now, in the Lone Star State, there is a litigious lurch underway specifically aimed at Facebook’s facial recognition work.
Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the lawsuit Monday in a state district court. The suit claims Facebook parent Meta has been “storing millions of biometric identifiers” — identified as retina or iris scans, voice prints, or a record of hand and face geometry — contained in photos and videos people uploaded to its services, including Facebook and Instagram.
“Facebook will no longer take advantage of people and their children with the intent to turn a profit at the expense of one’s safety and well-being,” Paxton said in a statement. “This is yet another example of Big Tech’s deceitful business practices and it must stop. I will continue to fight for Texans’ privacy and security.”
Texas’ suit was rooted solidly in the spirit of the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution.
Under Texas law, the lawsuit says, companies must obtain “informed consent” from people to use their biometric data. This means people have to be informed before their biometric data is captured and it can only be done if they agree to it. Such data also cannot be disclosed for anyone else, although there are some exceptions, such as in cases where a law enforcement subpoena issued.
Facebook has, unsurprisingly, deemed the lawsuit to be “without merit”, and will undoubtedly be flexing its mighty legal muscle in an attempt to maintain their uncouth domestic spying operation alive.
