Jan 17 (Reuters) - Google has a right to question Texas

officials in a lawsuit accusing the Alphabet unit of unlawfully

collecting biometric privacy data of millions of Texans without

consent, a state appeals court has ruled.

The decision by the Austin, Texas-based 15th Court of

Appeals on Thursday reversed a lower ruling that barred the

technology giant from deposing the state about its internal

communications and key terms in the privacy law at the center of

the 2022 lawsuit.

Texas had fought the inquiry, saying Google was trying to

"investigate the investigator."

Google and Texas did not immediately respond to requests for

comment.

The lawsuit accused Google of deceptive trade practices and

alleged it violated a state law that shields biometric

identifiers such as faces, fingerprints and eye scans from being

captured without approval.

Google unlawfully collected biometric data through Google

Photos, Google Assistant and Nest Hub Max, Texas said. The

privacy law sets out penalties of up to $25,000 per violation.

Google has denied any wrongdoing.

Lawyers for Texas told the appeals court that "Google has

sought and received substantial discovery from the state," and

so there was no need for an "improper and unduly burdensome

deposition."

The appeals court in its 2-1 order said a Texas court rule

at issue was "unambiguously broad and certainly encompasses a

right to depose any entity that is a party to a lawsuit."

A dissenting judge said Google "has other adequate legal

remedies without this unprecedented deposition."

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