Facebook Facial Recognition Lands Meta in Hot Water, R1.3bn Settlement

• Ken Paxton has taken Meta to court over Facebook's facial recognition and alleged tracking of the platform's users
• In a lawsuit from 2012, Facebook allegedly used its facial recognition technology to track users on its platform, even after they had logged off
• Meta, who owns Facebook, have agreed to an R1.3 billion settlement in this case and is waiting for the court to approve the settlement agreement

AUSTIN - Ken Paxton, the Attorney General for the US state of Texas, has taken Meta to court over Facebook's facial recognition and alleged tracking of the platform's users.

Paxton argues that Meta (previously known as Facebook), captured and used millions of Texans' biometric data without their informed consent, which violates state law. He added that this is a prime example of a Big Tech company's deceitful business practices and disrespect for privacy.

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"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.

Facebook's history with facial recognition

A lawsuit from 2012 has come to light again. The ten-year-old lawsuit alleges that Facebook used its facial recognition technology to track users on its platform, even after they had logged off, Business Insider reports.

Meta, who owns Facebook, have agreed to an R1.3 billion settlement in this case and is waiting for the court to approve the settlement agreement. One of the conditions is that Facebook deletes data improperly collected on users through the use of this practice. Facebook also stands accused of exploiting its users for data and profit, according to IOL.

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The 2012 lawsuit alleges that, between April 2010 and September 2011, Facebook violated privacy and wiretapping laws by using plug-ins to store cookies tracking users' visits to third-party websites that contained "like" buttons.

Reactions to Meta settlement and case

@shamechamp asked:

"Serious question, do you believe Facebook about this?"

@Mgeotsa shared:

"And we believe Zuckerberg why?"

@LeoVriends said:

"Meta is all about data. Our data!"

Facebook says goodbye to facial recognition, cites societal concerns

In previous news about Facebook's facial recognition, Briefly News reported that Meta Platforms Inc, previously known as Facebook Inc, has issued a statement declaring that they will no longer employ facial recognition in their technology.

In recent months, Facebook Inc has come under fire regarding ethical concerns about the company. Their rebranding effort, which caused their name change, seeks to make necessary changes to its mission and structure.

SABC News reported that despite the popularity of facial recognition technologies, society has become critical of them. People feel it threatens their privacy and can be utilised for intrusive means, such as monitoring certain groups of people.

Source: Briefly News