In brief
New Mexico judge fined Meta $25bn for years of deception over Facebook data handling, amid a scandal linked to Cambridge Analytica. The decision highlights growing scrutiny on tech giants and follows other hefty fines. Meta plans to appeal, but the fine matches its quarterly profits. The case brings new questions over data privacy and corporate accountability.
New Mexico judge fined Meta $25bn after a two‑week trial found the company lied about how it handled Facebook user data for more than 11 years.
Meta denies the claims and plans to appeal, but the judge said the fine is roughly equal to the company’s quarterly profits.
This is the largest penalty ever imposed on Meta and follows a $5bn FTC fine in 2019 and an $18bn California child‑safety deal.
The lawsuit is rooted in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from millions of Facebook users was used for political consulting in the 2016 US election.
State attorneys claimed Meta violated law more than 40 million times, misleading the public that user data was never shared without permission.
Judge Francis Mathew cited “willful” misrepresentations stretching from 2010 to 2021 and noted senior executive communications were designed to deceive.
While the full penalty could have reached $219bn, the judge reduced it to $25bn after state lawyers sought up to $40bn.
New Mexico previously fined Meta nearly $1bn for failing to protect children online, comparing its harm to air pollution.
Meta is already embroiled in multiple lawsuits across the US, highlighting the growing pressure on social‑media giants to safeguard user privacy and safety.
