Google Finalizes $1.375 Billion Settlement With Texas Over Alleged Privacy Violations


Jack Wang • November 20, 2025

Google's privacy woes trace back to a December 2018 Associated Press investigation revealing that the company's Android and iOS apps continued collecting precise location data—even after users disabled Location History. The report, based on interviews with Google privacy experts and code analysis, showed data pings every 2-3 minutes to Google's servers, amassing 10-20 gigabytes per user annually in some cases. This practice affected 2.4 billion Android users globally, per Statista 2019 data, sparking 45 state AG investigations by mid-2020. Texas AG Ken Paxton, citing 1.5 million affected residents, led the charge in a 2022 multistate suit. Full AP exposé here.


Core Allegations: Deceptive Data Harvesting Exposed


At heart, Texas accused Google of misleading users about data controls. Despite in-app prompts stating "Location History is turned off," apps like Maps and Search sent location signals via "Location Services" or "Web & App Activity," capturing coordinates within 10 meters accuracy. The suit claimed this violated consent norms, with 68% of surveyed users unaware of ongoing tracking, per a 2021 Pew Research Center poll on digital privacy.


No criminal intent alleged, but the deception allegedly shortchanged users' autonomy in a market where 92% of Americans own smartphones, per Pew 2024 stats. Complaint details here.


Texas DTPA Takes Center Stage


Texas invoked the Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act (DTPA), a 1973 statute prohibiting "false, misleading, or deceptive acts" in commerce, with penalties up to $20,000 per violation plus treble damages. The suit argued Google's privacy settings constituted "unconscionable actions," as users couldn't reasonably opt out—similar to a 2019 Illinois BIPA case netting $650 million for biometric overreach.


Federally, it skirted the Wiretap Act (18 U.S.C. § 2510) by claiming no "interception," but Texas tied it to state analogs.


The Multistate Probe into Google From 2019 to 2022 Lawsuit


Post-AP report, 50+ AGs coordinated via the NAAG's Consumer Protection Working Group, issuing a 2019 subpoena for Google's data logs—yielding 500,000 pages reviewed by 2020. Texas, joined by 39 states, filed in June 2022 in Travis County District Court (Case No. D-1-GN-22-003276), alleging 5 years of violations affecting 40 million Texans. Docket summary here.


Google Settlement Talks Close: 2024-2025 Negotiations at $1.375B


Talks intensified in Q1 2024 after a California federal judge dismissed a parallel suit on standing grounds, pressuring multistate resolution. By Q3 2024, 38 states settled for $391.5 million total—Texas's share $23 million initially—but Paxton pushed for standalone leverage, citing 2.5 million unique claims. Final $1.375 billion accord, announced October 31, 2025, includes $1.2 billion to Texas coffers and $175 million for user restitution via claims portal. Non-monetary: Google commits to 5-year audits and clearer toggles, verified by third-party (e.g., Deloitte).


Spike in State AG Tech Suits Post-Settlement


The deal caps a trend: State AG privacy actions rose 40% from 2023-2025, per NAAG data, with tech settlements totaling $5.2 billion. Google's stock dipped 1.2% ($2.5 billion market cap hit) on announcement day, per Yahoo Finance.


EOD Google's Data Harvesting Empire Cannot be stopped.


NestJS the react framework for the web
By Max November 23, 2025
NestJS vs Next.js vs Express: In-Depth 2025 Node.js Framework Comparison Hey, so you are probly working on a dev project! How exciting, this guide takes you through these 3 technologies, where and when to use them, and even how they work together. Deep technical profiles and head-to-head comparisons of NestJS an enterprise TypeScript backend, Next.js, a React full-stack powerhouse, and Expres,s a minimalist API foundation. Lets get started. What is NestJS Angular-Inspired Architecture for Enterprise Node.js ?? As of 2025, NestJS (version 10+) has become a go-to choice for teams that want structure and scalability in Node.js. It builds on top of Express or Fastify, but adds a clear, Angular-style architecture that keeps big projects organized. At the center of NestJS is its modular design. Apps are split into feature modules, which can load lazily to improve performance as your system grows. Dependency injection—similar to what you see in Angular or Spring—helps keep code loosely coupled and highly testable, which enterprise teams love. Much of Nest’s power comes from decorators like @Controller , @Injectable , and @Guard . These provide metadata the framework uses to cleanly handle cross-cutting concerns. Nest also supports many communication layers out of the box: HTTP, GraphQL, WebSockets, gRPC, MQTT, and more. Its built-in microservice system includes transport options such as TCP, Redis, NATS, and Kafka, making it easy to move from a monolith to microservices. Nest’s CLI speeds up development by generating consistent boilerplate. Next.js: Vercel’s Performance-Focused React Framework Next.js shines through its flexible rendering options. You can use SSR, SSG, ISR, streaming with Suspense, or the newer Partial Prerendering technique. Middleware, API routes, and route handlers can run on edge or serverless runtimes, making it easy to distribute logic globally on Vercel or in your own Node environment. Turbopack—the Rust-based replacement for Webpack —is now stable and dramatically faster, making dev servers and builds much quicker. Built-in image, font, and script optimizations reduce payload sizes automatically. Next.js 15, stabilized in late 2025, has firmly established itself as the leading React meta-framework—especially for teams that care about speed. Its App Router system creates routes directly from your file structure and relies heavily on React Server Components, Server Actions, and parallel routing to simplify complex layouts. Express JS | The Minimalist Classic That Still Delivers Express 5 finally arrived in early 2025, and it continues to be the lightweight backbone of the Node ecosystem. Express doesn’t force any particular file structure or architectural pattern, which gives developers total freedom. Routing is straightforward but powerful, with support for parameters, method-based handlers, and nested routers. Thousands of middleware packages cover tasks like authentication, logging, CORS, and compression. Even after more than a decade, Express continues to power critical systems at major companies and remains the foundation beneath frameworks like NestJS.
By Jack Sterling November 23, 2025
The House of Sweden: An Exclusive "Multi-Use" Building A Diplomatic Hub: It is the official home of the Embassy of Sweden and the Embassy of Iceland . A Cultural Center: It hosts public events and art exhibitions to promote Swedish culture. A Private Business Center: This is the key. The building also contains 19 exclusive "corporate office suites" that the Swedish government leases to private companies. Perched on the Georgetown waterfront at 2900 K Street NW, the House of Sweden overlooks the Potomac River and Rock Creek, blending seamlessly into Washington, D.C.'s historic fabric. This five-story, 7,500 square meter structure houses the Swedish Embassy, Iceland's diplomatic mission, and the Faroe Islands representation, creating a collaborative Nordic outpost in the U.S. capital. Opened amid the city's 19 million annual tourists, it stands as a modern counterpoint to Georgetown's colonial charm, drawing 50,000 visitors yearly for events and exhibits, per Sweden Abroad 2025 attendance logs. history of the House of Sweden DC The push for a dedicated Swedish embassy began in the 1980s, but the Georgetown site solidified as viable in 1997 after navigating U.S. federal land approvals. By 2002, Sweden's National Property Board launched an international competition, receiving 67 entries focused on embodying "Swedish openness" through sustainable design. Architects Gert Wingårdh and Tomas Hansen of Wingårdh Arkitektkontor won with a glass-heavy proposal, edging out 66 rivals via a jury praising its "refined experiences." Groundbreaking occurred April 23, 2004, with Sweden's Culture Minister Marita Ulvskog and D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams wielding the ceremonial shovel. Construction was wrapped up by summer 2006 at a $67 million cost. Inauguration on October 23, 2006, drew King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, marking Sweden's first purpose-built U.S. embassy in 50 years and hosting 1,200 dignitaries. Wingårdh's Kasper Salin Prize win in 2007—Sweden's top architecture honor—followed, affirming its status among 1,000+ global embassy designs. What is the purpose of the Multi-National House of Sweden Managed by Sweden's National Property Board (SFV) since 2006, the House hosts three missions. The Swedish Embassy occupies prime floors for 50 diplomats, handling $10 billion in bilateral trade—up 15 percent from 2020—across tech, clean energy, and pharma sectors. Iceland's mission, relocated here in 2006, covers 1,000 square meters for its five staff, supporting $500 million in U.S.-Iceland exports like aluminum and fish. The Faroe Islands Representation, added in 2010, uses 500 square meters for economic promotion, boosting $200 million in seafood trade amid 20 percent U.S. market growth since 2020. This shared model cuts costs by 40 percent versus standalone embassies, per SFV efficiency reports. Office space for diplomatic deals? Beyond diplomacy, the House functions as a 12,000 square foot event venue, hosting 150+ gatherings yearly—from corporate summits to cultural fests—generating $2 million in 2024 rentals, per Washington.org data. Eight configurable rooms, including a 4,000 square foot event center with Potomac views, accommodate 500 guests, featuring indoor/outdoor pools and a rooftop terrace overlooking the Kennedy Center and Air Force Memorial.  The House facilitates $10 billion in Sweden-U.S. trade (all above board of course), with events like business forums generating 500+ networking leads yearly. Since 2006, the House has hosted 1,200+ events, from royal inaugurations to Indigenous art debuts, and even to the likes of hunter biden . Rosemont Seneca's Business and Model First, to understand why they would be in that building, it helps to understand what the firm did. "Investment" and "private equity" are broad terms, but Rosemont Seneca's focus was specific: International Advisory: The firm specialized in "international business development" and "advisory services." In simple terms, they acted as high-level consultants and deal-makers. Connecting Capital: Their business involved connecting U.S.-based investors and companies with opportunities in foreign markets, and vice-versa. Global Focus: Their ventures and partnerships were explicitly global, involving entities and partners in various countries. For a firm like this, their business is international relations and access. Their office is not just a place to work; it's a strategic tool. The House of Sweden: An Exclusive "Multi-Use" Building Your research was correct that the building is an embassy. The missing piece is that the House of Sweden is a multi-use property owned by the Swedish government (through its National Property Board, or SFV). It is not only an embassy. It functions as: Other Private Companies that work out of the House of Sweden in DC the "2026" List There are two main reasons a list, especially for 2026, is not publicly available: Security and Privacy: Because the building houses two active embassies, the full tenant list is not made public for security reasons. Unlike a standard commercial office tower, you cannot find a lobby directory online. Commercial Privacy: Tenant leases are private business agreements. This information is almost never made public unless a company announces its location in a press release. A list for 2026 would be speculative, as it would depend on leases that have not yet been signed. Confirmed and Typical Tenants While a full list isn't public, we know the type of tenants the building attracts. The goal is to house companies that "promote Swedish commerce" or have a strong international profile. A perfect example of another private company with offices in the House of Sweden is Volvo . The building has been home to the "DC corporate offices for Volvo," the global car manufacturer. In summary, Rosemont Seneca Advisors was an international investment firm that rented a private corporate suite in the House of Sweden, placing them in a prestigious environment alongside embassies and other global companies like Volvo, which perfectly matched their business model of international deal-making.
By Conan Doyle November 20, 2025
Texas Senate Bill 2420, enacted May 27, 2025, as the App Store Accountability Act (ASAA), requires app store operators and developers to verify user ages and secure parental consent for minors accessing Texas users. Effective January 1, 2026, the law targets platforms collecting data from children under 18, with Texas's 7.5 million minors (21% of 30 million population) in scope per U.S. Legislative text her e . Age Verification Requirements: Mandatory Checks at Account Creation SB 2420 mandates age verification at app store account setup, classifying users as "adult" (18+) or minor categories (under 13, 13-15, 16-17). App stores must block minor accounts from adult-rated apps without consent, using methods like Declared Age Range API (live in iOS 18.1) or third-party ID scans. Apple's Texas rollout affects 12 million iOS device Verifiable Approval for Minors Under 18 SB 2420 For minors, SB 2420 requires linking accounts to a parent's verified profile before downloads or in-app purchases, with consent re-obtained for significant changes like new data types. Verification uses government ID or credit card methods, proven effective in FTC pilot tests. It applies to many Texas children under 13, where most parents support such safeguards per Pew surveys. Developers outside stores, like web-direct, must embed similar flows, impacting a notable share of mobile apps. Users under 18 may see fewer app installs due to gates, per eMarketer forecasts, with some parental opt-outs in beta tests. Privacy: ID uploads raise breach risks, with a portion of U.S. incidents tied to verification per Verizon DBIR. Minors' data faces more scrutiny under expanded COPPA-like rules . SB 2420 Stats: Texas's Digital Gatekeeper in Action SB 2420's January 2026 kickoff—verifying Texas minors, substantial fines—reshapes most app traffic amid multi-state ripple. From unchecked installs to full gates, it's privacy's velvet rope: Elegant, but expect some to slip under.  objectwire.org

STAY UP TO DATE

GET Objective LATEST