Meta misled consumers in case over Cambridge Analytica scandal, New Mexico jury says

A jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico, determined on Friday that Meta Platforms misled the state's residents, according to a verdict following a two-week trial over a lawsuit filed by New Mexico's attorney general in 2021. The allegations stem from Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that allegedly obtained data from millions of Facebook users without their consent in 2016.

The lawsuit accused Meta of making misleading statements regarding the sharing of personal information with third parties, handling hate speech and misinformation, and offering preferences to certain users. The company was alleged to have sold users' data to outsiders and allowed hate speech or misinformation to be shared on the platform for profit.

The trial focused on specific statements made by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg or in company blog posts, which New Mexico claimed led people to believe they had control over their personal information or that the site had blanket policies for handling hate speech or misinformation. In reality, Meta was selling data to third-party apps, like Cambridge Analytica, and had exceptions to its policies for some users, according to the state's attorneys.

Meta's defense argued that the alleged misleading statements were isolated snippets that ignored the broader context in which the company acknowledged its handling of misinformation or privacy issues was not flawless. The company also denied selling users' information.