Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has faced controversies and legal challenges in recent years. But to top it off, the state of Texas filed a lawsuit accusing Meta of illegally gathering biometric data from Texans citizens without their consent.
This lawsuit revolved around Meta’s facial recognition technology which culminated biometric data billions of times from users uploaded videos and photos. Previously Meta had settled for a similar class-action lawsuit in Illinois for $ 650 million. But this time for Texas case, the lawsuit is settled for $1.4 billion due to Texas’s 2008 biometric privacy law in which damages can be levied with $25,000 fine per violation.
This settlement was disclosed publicly. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that this case highlights the state’s commitment to protect their citizens privacy by holding even a major tech giant accountable.
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal had also reported that thousands of ads on Facebook and Instagram redirect the users to online marketplaces where drugs are sold illegally. Despite having a policy of banning such promotions, many ads marketing cocaine, opioids and drugs were found. Meta failed to protect their users because these ads use photos linked to private chat groups on WhatsApp and Telegram which bypasses their content moderation systems.
Following the WSJ report, Meta’s spokesperson stated that AI tools have been deployed to enforce their content moderation systems. Meta also stated that they are collaborating with law enforcement to combat illegal activities on its platforms.
These ongoing legal and ethical challenges highlights how Meta has been unethically collecting private data and even fails to enforce its policies effectively. Despite their claims of using advanced AI tools and protecting user’s privacy, a significant gap still remains which can only be filled when they are held accountable.
