Meta fined $25 billion by New Mexico court over user data privacy

A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta Platforms to pay a $25 billion fine following a jury verdict that found the company misled consumers regarding data protection. The ruling is linked to the 2016 Cambridge Analytica scandal, where the political consulting firm harvested data from millions of Facebook users without their consent to influence the U.S. presidential campaign of Donald Trump.

Judge Francis Matthew noted that while the state law allowed for a potential penalty of up to $219 billion, he ultimately reduced the fine to $25 billion. The judge characterized the company's actions as deep-seated issues inherent to its core business practices over several years. The litigation began in 2021 when the New Mexico Attorney General filed a lawsuit following revelations that up to 87 million users were affected by unauthorized data harvesting through a third-party application.

Meta has not yet provided an official comment regarding the ruling. The decision marks a significant legal escalation regarding the company's historical handling of user information and its impact on political integrity.