Home / Crime and Justice / New Mexico Judge Slams Meta With $25B Privacy Penalty
New Mexico Judge Slams Meta With $25B Privacy Penalty
22 Oct
Summary
- Meta ordered to pay $25 billion for deceiving Facebook users about privacy.
- Judge cited 43 million violations of New Mexico's consumer protection law.
- The judgment stems from the Cambridge Analytica data scandal a decade ago.
Meta has been ordered by a New Mexico judge to pay a $25 billion judgment for deceiving Facebook users about privacy issues a decade ago. The ruling came after a jury found 43 million violations of the state's consumer protection law. This penalty is directly linked to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which revealed how user data was acquired and used.
Meta lawyers argued for a significantly lower penalty, suggesting as little as $3.4 billion. However, Judge Francis Mathew cited the "extraordinary number of willful violations" and the "intentional and systematic nature" of Facebook's misstatements. The company's Chief Legal Officer stated that the ruling makes business in New Mexico "all but impossible" and plans to appeal.
This judgment follows other controversies surrounding Meta, including allegations of negatively impacting teen mental health. While Meta has faced large potential penalties before, such as a $1.4 trillion figure discussed previously, this $25 billion judgment is a substantial finalized penalty, though its payment is contingent on the appeal's outcome. New Mexico is using funds from consumer protection cases to support schools.
