02:48 PM EDT, 07/30/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with Meta Platforms' ( META ) response in the fifth paragraph.)

Meta Platforms ( META ) has reached a $1.4 billion deal with Texas to settle the state's lawsuit accusing the Facebook parent of illegally using facial recognition technology to gather biometric data of users in the state without their consent, Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday.

The company will pay the amount to the state over five years, Paxton said.

Paxton sued the social media giant in February 2022 for unlawfully collecting the biometric data of "millions of Texans" without getting their informed consent as required by state law, Paxton said.

"After vigorously pursuing justice for our citizens whose privacy rights were violated by Meta's use of facial recognition software, I'm proud to announce that we have reached the largest settlement ever obtained from an action brought by a single state," Paxton said.

"We are pleased to resolve this matter, and look forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers," a Meta spokesperson told MT Newswires in an email.

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