New Mexico took on Meta alone and won a $25 billion judgment over Facebook’s privacy violations

In a landmark decision, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay the state $25 billion following a jury's finding that the company deceived users about its privacy and content moderation policies. The amount, described by state Attorney General Raúl Torrez as "one of the largest, if not the single largest state verdict against a company in American history," would likely fund New Mexico's schools for the next 100 years.

New Mexico took the case alone, despite 48 other states settling for $18 billion in the past. The Menlo Park, California-based company was set to report its quarterly earnings on the same day as the verdict, with its shares trading 2% higher. Although Meta intends to appeal the decision, the ruling is expected to serve as a warning to tech companies and prompt New Mexico to continue holding them accountable.