Google to pay $8M settlement for “lying to Texans,” state AG says

Enlarge (credit: Manuel Augusto Moreno | Moment)

Google has agreed to an $8 million settlement with Texas over deceptive ads promoting its Pixel 4 smartphone, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced today.

At issue was Google’s trustworthiness as an advertiser after the tech giant “hired radio DJs to record and broadcast detailed testimonials about their personal experiences with the Pixel 4,” but then “refused to provide the DJs with a phone for them to use,” Paxton said.

The tech giant had previously settled claims from the Federal Trade Commission and six other states for approximately $9 million, and Paxton seemed proud that his “settlement recovers $8 million for the State of Texas alone.”