Texas AG Says It Probed 200 Companies' Data Privacy Practices in 1 Year
Texas investigated data practices of more than 200 companies and issued “dozens of privacy violation notices” under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act during the past year, said Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in a Monday press release touting his office’s privacy accomplishments.
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The 200 probe targets included data brokers, car manufacturers, social media outlets and Chinese companies, said Paxton’s office: That’s led to enforcement actions against companies including Google, Meta, TikTok, Reddit, Discord, Instagram, Character.AI and General Motors. In May, the AG announced a record $1.4 billion settlement with Google, which, some observers said, cemented Texas’ reputation for privacy enforcement (see 2505120054).
“Over the past year, I’ve taken strong action against Big Tech, foreign entities, and other bad actors who sought to illegally use Texans’ private and sensitive data,” said Paxton. “Texas is the watchdog for the nation’s privacy rights and freedoms, and I will continue doing all I can to protect Texans from new threats to their personal data and digital security.”
The AG office established a large privacy enforcement team last year. After this year’s passage of the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (TRAIGA), one privacy attorney predicted the Texas AG could soon become one of the top AI enforcers in the U.S. (see 2507110037).