Facebook Found Liable for Deceiving Users in Cambridge Analytica Scandal

A jury in New Mexico has found Facebook liable for deceiving users regarding privacy protections on its social media platform. The verdict came after a two-week trial in Santa Fe concerning allegations that Facebook misled the public about investigations into data brokers.

The case stemmed from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from approximately 87 million Facebook profiles was harvested without user consent via a third-party personality quiz and subsequently sold to the political consulting firm for targeted advertising. Cambridge Analytica's clients included the 2016 campaign for Donald Trump.

Jurors found Facebook liable for more than two million violations, concluding the company deceived users about its privacy safeguards. Facebook's representatives argued during the trial that the state's evidence was outdated and that New Mexico had failed to uncover more than one instance of a data breach in five years.

The company, now known as Meta, had previously agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit related to child safety issues. A portion of that settlement included an agreement to release Meta from future liability concerning the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, making New Mexico's lawsuit unique as the only state to pursue the case independently.

New Mexico had previously secured judgments totaling $942 million against Meta in a separate two-phase trial concerning the company's safety protocols for minors. That trial also resulted in court orders for Meta to implement new safeguards, such as age-verification technology and time limits on its platforms.