Judge Orders Meta to Pay New Mexico $25 Billion Over Facebook Privacy Deception
Summary
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found it liable for misleading users about Facebook privacy. The case involved data harvested from roughly 87 million profiles and sold to Cambridge Analytica; Meta plans to appeal.
Key points
- A jury found Meta liable for more than 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection laws over misleading statements about Facebook users’ personal data.
- The case followed a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to Cambridge Analytica.
- Meta said it would appeal, arguing that the state’s enforcement approach makes doing business in New Mexico difficult.
- Jurors rejected claims that Facebook made false statements about removing harmful content, including COVID-19 misinformation.
- The $25 billion award exceeds the $5 billion fine the FTC imposed on Facebook in 2019; the amount could change during the appeal.
Article Details
- Event Type
- Civil judgment finding Meta liable for misleading users about Facebook’s handling of personal data.
- Impact
- A judge ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found more than 43 million violations of state consumer protection laws. The case concerned allegations that Facebook misled users about privacy and a third-party quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to Cambridge Analytica. Meta said it would appeal; the article reports that the award could be reduced during the appeal process.
People
C.J. MahoneyMeta’s chief legal officer, who said the company was confident it would prevail on appeal.Francis J. MathewNew Mexico state District Court judge who ordered Meta to pay $25 billion.Mark ZuckerbergFacebook CEO whose statements about user control and the sale of user data were cited at trial; he also denied in a video deposition that Facebook profited from harmful content.Raúl TorrezNew Mexico Attorney General who said the judgment would signal that the state would hold technology companies accountable.
Vendors
Products
FacebookA judge on Wednesday ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook, marking the biggest fine ever against the tech giant.InstagramIn August, Meta reached a settlement with nearly all states and territories — except New Mexico and Florida — to pay $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms.