● Covered by 4 sources · 5 reportsMedium impact4 negative1 neutral
New Mexico Jury Rules Meta Misled Residents on Data Privacy
Key points
- New Mexico jury found Meta violated Unfair Practices Act.
- Verdict relates to 2021 lawsuit over Cambridge Analytica scandal.
- Meta accused of misrepresenting third-party app data access.
- Judge will determine the fine amount.
- Attorneys asked for a maximum $5,000 penalty per violation.
- The trial lasted two weeks in Santa Fe.
- The third-party quiz harvested data from 87 million profiles.
- Cambridge Analytica's clients included the 2016 Trump campaign.
- New Mexico's population is more than 2 million people.
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez commented on the verdict.
- Jury found over 43 million violations of state consumer protection law.
- The verdict allows a judge to determine penalties, potentially costing Meta billions.
- Jury found Meta misled consumers about hate speech and misinformation.
- Jury found Meta's statements about hate speech and misinformation were willfully deceptive.
- Meta claimed it did not profit from misinformation or hate.
- Meta claimed it deleted harmful misinformation from the platform.
- Meta claimed it did not tolerate hate speech.
- Meta claimed it had no incentive to retain hateful content.
- New Mexico requested Meta pay between $35 billion and $40 billion in penalties.
- Meta seeks to cap penalties at $3.45 billion.
- The jury verdict allows for penalties up to $219 billion.
Jury Finds Meta in Violation
A New Mexico jury has ruled that Meta violated the state's Unfair Practices Act. The jury concluded that Meta misled residents about their data privacy practices and how the company manages misinformation on its platforms.
Background of the Lawsuit
The trial resulted from a 2021 lawsuit filed by the state of New Mexico. This legal action was initiated in response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from Facebook was used to target political advertising during the 2016 election cycle.
The original lawsuit alleged that Meta misrepresented third-party app access to user data, maintained unclear privacy settings, and falsely claimed equal application of hate speech policies.
Meta's Defense and Previous Settlements
Meta's lawyers acknowledged past mistakes in handling misinformation and privacy but denied selling user data or benefiting from hate speech. The company has faced multiple settlements related to Cambridge Analytica in various regions, including the US, UK, and Australia.
Recently, Meta settled with 47 US states over child safety concerns in an $18 billion agreement, which included a $459 million payment to resolve existing Cambridge Analytica lawsuits. New Mexico and Florida did not participate in that specific part of the settlement, allowing this trial to proceed.
Pending Fine Determination
A judge has not yet determined the amount Meta will be fined as a result of this jury's decision. The company has been asked for comment on the case.
Updates
- New Mexico requested Meta pay between $35 billion and $40 billion in penalties.
- Meta seeks to cap penalties at $3.45 billion.
- The jury verdict allows for penalties up to $219 billion.
- Jury found Meta misled consumers about hate speech and misinformation.
- Jury found Meta's statements about hate speech and misinformation were willfully deceptive.
- Meta claimed it did not profit from misinformation or hate.
- Meta claimed it deleted harmful misinformation from the platform.
- Meta claimed it did not tolerate hate speech.
- Meta claimed it had no incentive to retain hateful content.
- Jury found over 43 million violations of state consumer protection law.
- The verdict allows a judge to determine penalties, potentially costing Meta billions.
- Attorneys asked for a maximum $5,000 penalty per violation.
- The trial lasted two weeks in Santa Fe.
- The third-party quiz harvested data from 87 million profiles.
- Cambridge Analytica's clients included the 2016 Trump campaign.
- New Mexico's population is more than 2 million people.
- New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez commented on the verdict.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Primary sources
CVE CVE-2026-656608.8 HIGHHow outlets covered it
New Mexico is requesting Meta pay between $35 billion and $40 billion in penalties following a jury verdict that found Meta misled users about data privacy. The state's attorney argues the penalty should be substantial enough to impact the company, while Meta seeks to cap penalties at $3.45 billion.
A New Mexico jury found Meta's Facebook platform liable for nearly 44 million violations of the state's Unfair Practices Act, determining it misled consumers about data privacy, hate speech, misinformation, and adherence to community standards. This verdict could result in billions of dollars in penalties for Meta, adding to previous financial judgments related to its data practices.
A New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for over 43 million violations of state consumer protection law, concluding the company deceived users about privacy protections related to the Cambridge Analytica data breach. This verdict allows a judge to determine penalties, potentially costing Meta billions, and holds a major tech company accountable for past data handling practices.
A New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections related to the Cambridge Analytica data breach. The verdict means Facebook failed to protect user data, impacting New Mexico's population, and the judge will now determine the penalty amount.
A New Mexico jury found Meta violated the state's Unfair Practices Act and misled residents regarding data privacy and misinformation handling. This verdict stems from a 2021 lawsuit related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where Facebook user data was used for political advertising.