Meta Platforms ordered to pay $25 billion in New Mexico consumer data protection case

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion in a consumer data protection case, following a jury's finding that the company misled consumers about its data privacy practices. The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico's attorney general in 2021, stems from allegations that Meta obtained millions of Facebook users' personal information without their consent.

Judge Francis Mathew reduced the amount from an initial $219 billion ruling, citing that a penalty exceeding that figure was warranted under state law. The case centers on Meta's alleged misrepresentation of its handling of users' personal information and harmful content on its platforms, as well as its tolerance of such practices when it benefited the company's business.

Brief written by urgent.news from Live Mint's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.