A New Mexico state judge has ordered Meta to pay a $25 billion civil penalty over Facebook‘s handling of user data, following a September jury verdict in the state’s lawsuit tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Santa Fe District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew imposed the fine, which New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called a “historic financial victory” for the state. Meta has said it will appeal.
The jury found last month that Facebook violated New Mexico’s consumer protection laws more than 43 million times, depriving residents of their privacy and of their right to know how major technology companies use their personal data.
What the Jury Found and How the $25 Billion Penalty Was Set
New Mexico sued Meta over Cambridge Analytica, one of the most significant privacy controversies in the history of the modern internet. The British consulting firm went bankrupt long ago, yet the legal fallout for Meta continues. According to the state, Facebook gave third-party apps unlawful access to user data, mishandled hate speech, and knowingly profited from misinformation.
The final figure lands between the positions argued in court. Judge Mathew determined that Meta could have faced a fine of up to $219 billion under New Mexico law. A local attorney sought a penalty of $35 billion to $40 billion, while Meta asked the court to cap the fine at $3.45 billion.
Torrez said the penalty order shows that such violations carry serious financial consequences for businesses, and that no company is too powerful to be held accountable under the law.
The ruling “reinforces a fundamental principle: companies that do business in our state must follow our laws and respect the rights of our people,” the attorney general said. His office also presented the size of the fine as proof that state consumer protection laws work as a tool for holding technology companies to account.
Meta Plans to Appeal the New Mexico Ruling
Meta has warned that the verdict could significantly affect its ability to operate in New Mexico, and the company confirmed it will appeal. The penalty is therefore not final, and no payment timeline has been made public.
Analyst Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson & Co. pointed out that the New Mexico ruling carries a hefty price tag, but Meta remains a company valued at nearly $2 trillion. Meta’s business relies heavily on digital advertising.
The ruling does not require any action from Facebook users. The central finding was that third-party apps received unlawful access to user data, so users who linked apps to their Facebook account in the past may want to review which apps still have access.
The New Mexico penalty is a state court decision and applies to violations of New Mexico law only. Meta has not said when it will file its appeal or whether it will ask the court to pause the $25 billion penalty while the appeal is pending.
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