Meta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico after jury finds company misled consumers about data privacy

New Mexico's state attorney general has secured a significant $25 billion verdict against Meta Platforms, following a jury's finding that the company misled consumers regarding data privacy practices. This judgment marks one of the largest single-state awards against the social media giant in American history. Judge Francis Mathew acknowledged the company's extensive wrongdoing over years, yet reduced the maximum potential penalty of $219 billion due to state law.

Meta's spokesperson declined to comment immediately, and the ruling follows six other states settling related lawsuits for a total of $459.2 million. The case began in 2021 when New Mexico accused Meta of deceiving users about who could access their data, how the company handled harmful content, and other internal policies. Cambridge Analytica, linked to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, obtained personal data from millions of Facebook users without consent through a third-party app.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez emphasized this verdict as a strong stand against big tech corporations and a warning to the industry.