Meta loses New Mexico privacy case as state seeks up to $219 billion in civil penalties

News Editor

2026-09-26 01:02:30

A New Mexico jury has found that Meta deceived the public through its speech and data privacy policies, violating state law in a ruling tied to the Cambridge Analytica fallout. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez called the verdict a "landmark moment" for holding large technology companies accountable and said his office will ask the court to impose civil penalties of as much as $219 billion. The jury found Meta liable for most of the 34 statements listed in the verdict form. Violations were counted between 1.3 million and 2.1 million times for each item, based on the number of Facebook users in New Mexico or the state’s total population in 2020. Under state law, each violation can carry a penalty of up to $5,000, though the final amount will be decided by First Judicial District Court Judge Francis Mathew in Santa Fe. The case stems from the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a seemingly harmless survey app collected data from Facebook users and their friends, affecting 87 million user profiles that were later used in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Meta has already paid about $6 billion in settlements with the Federal Trade Commission, Facebook users, and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general. New Mexico and Washington, D.C., were the only two jurisdictions that did not join that coalition settlement. Meta said it disagrees with the verdict and will keep fighting the case.

Meta has lost a privacy case in New Mexico after a jury found that the company deceived the public through its speech and data privacy policies, violating state law, according to BlockBeats on Sept. 26. The ruling marks the largest legal exposure so far for Meta tied to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described the verdict as a "landmark moment" for holding large technology companies accountable. He said the state will ask the court to impose civil penalties of up to $219 billion on Meta.

Jury found Meta liable on most of 34 statements

The jury found Meta liable for most of the 34 statements listed on the verdict form. For each violation, the count ranged from 1.3 million to 2.1 million, reflecting either the number of Facebook users in New Mexico or the state’s total population in 2020.

Under state law, each violation can carry a penalty of up to $5,000. The final amount was not set by the jury and will instead be determined by Francis Mathew, a judge in the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe.

The reported $219 billion figure is a theoretical maximum. The actual penalty will depend on the judge’s final decision.

Case traces back to Cambridge Analytica scandal

The case stems from the Cambridge Analytica scandal that came to light in 2018. A survey app created by a data scientist appeared harmless on the surface, but it collected information from Facebook users and their friends, ultimately affecting 87 million user profiles.

That data was later used by Cambridge Analytica in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Before the New Mexico ruling, Meta had already paid about $6 billion in settlements involving the Federal Trade Commission, Facebook users, and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general. New Mexico and Washington, D.C., were the only two jurisdictions that did not join that coalition settlement.

Meta says it will continue to fight the ruling

A Meta spokesperson disputed the verdict and said the company will continue to contest the case. The spokesperson cited the First Amendment, saying Meta has the right to manage the platform in the way it believes best serves its community, while prioritizing free expression, protecting user information, and giving users control over their data.

According to market data from BIT (bit.com), Meta shares closed down 3.33% on Friday after the news.

This article was originally published by Bit.Fan. For more cryptocurrency news and market insights, visit www.bit.fan.

2300

Disclaimer:

The market information, project data, and third-party content displayed on this platform are for industry information sharing only and do not constitute any form of investment advice or return commitment.

Cryptocurrency trading carries high risks. Users should fully assess their risk tolerance and make independent decisions. All profits, losses, and legal responsibilities are borne by the users themselves.