Google was hit with a lawsuit in Texas on Thursday over allegations that the company collected millions of Texans’ biometric identifiers, including facial and voice recognition information, without their explicit consent.
The suit, which accuses Google of violating a state consumer protection law, accuses the internet company of using products and services like Google Photos, Google Assistant and Nest Hub Max to collect the information.
“Google’s exploitation of the personal information of Texans for its own commercial interests is a knowing violation of the state’s Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act,” state Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office said in a statement.
That Texas law provides fines up to $25,000 per violation, and the lawsuit alleges that millions of people were potentially affected. The math adds up quickly: Google could potentially face a penalty in the billions.
Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
