Google Photos’ AI Editing Feature Blocked in Texas and Illinois Over Biometric Laws
Key Points
- Google Photos' Conversational Editing relies on Face Groups, which collects facial geometry data.
- Texas and Illinois biometric privacy statutes restrict the storage and use of such data.
- Illinois' BIPA allows individual lawsuits with penalties of $1,000 to $5,000 per person.
- Texas' CUBI permits state-led actions with fines up to $25,000 per violation.
- Google settled a $100 million Illinois lawsuit over Face Groups in 2022.
- A Texas lawsuit was settled in May 2025 over biometric data collection.
- Google disabled Conversational Editing in the two states while keeping Gemini app functionality available.
- Other tech companies, like Meta, have faced similar biometric privacy settlements.
Google's new Conversational Editing tool in Google Photos is unavailable to users in Texas and Illinois because state biometric privacy statutes restrict the collection of facial geometry data required by the app’s Face Groups feature. Legal experts say the laws, including Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act and Texas' Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act, limit how biometric identifiers can be stored, transmitted, or retained. Google has disabled the feature in those states while offering similar functionality through its Gemini app, which does not rely on Face Groups.
Feature Overview and Restrictions
Google Photos recently introduced Conversational Editing, an AI-powered tool that lets users edit images by typing commands or speaking, without needing advanced software. The feature debuted on the Pixel 10 series and rolled out to eligible Android and iOS users in the United States. However, the rollout excluded Texas and Illinois, where the tool is not available.
Biometric Legal Conflict
Conversational Editing depends on another Google Photos feature called Face Groups, which automatically groups similar faces and creates facial geometry models—a form of biometric data. Both Texas and Illinois have laws that restrict how biometric identifiers such as face geometry or voiceprints can be stored, transmitted, or retained. In Illinois, the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) requires consent before biometric data collection and allows individuals to sue for violations, with penalties ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per affected person. In Texas, the Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act (CUBI) permits the state attorney general to bring lawsuits and can impose fines up to $25,000 per violation.
Legal History and Settlements
Google previously settled a $100 million lawsuit over its Face Groups feature in Illinois in 2022. Texas also sued Google in 2022 for collecting biometric data without consent, and that case was settled in May 2025. These settlements reflect the ongoing tension between tech companies and state biometric privacy regulations.
Compliance Decision
Legal experts suggest that the simplest compliance route for Google is to disable the feature in the two states, as the biometric collection required for Face Groups creates a legal conundrum. The conversational editing experience remains available through the Gemini app, which does not rely on Face Groups and is accessible in Texas and Illinois.
Industry Context
Google is not alone in facing biometric privacy challenges; other tech firms, such as Meta, have settled large BIPA-related lawsuits, including a $650 million settlement for tracking users without consent.