Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion to New Mexico Over Cambridge Analytica Data Scandal

A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion after a jury determined the company misled consumers in a case stemming from allegations that a political consulting firm involved in Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign accessed data from millions of Facebook users without their consent.

The state's attorney general initiated a lawsuit against Meta in 2021 following revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm, had harvested personal data from as many as 87 million Facebook users through a third-party app.

The state accused Meta of deceiving Facebook users in New Mexico about who had access to their data, how the company managed hate speech and misinformation on its platform, and other internal policies. Jurors found on September 25 that 26 out of 29 statements made by the company and its leadership on these issues were misleading.

They concluded that the company committed over 43 million violations of New Mexico's consumer protection laws, based on the number of Facebook users or New Mexico residents who were exposed to each misleading statement. State law permits a penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, with all proceeds directed to New Mexico's school system, according to Attorney General Raúl Torrez.

During a hearing on October 1, Randi McGinn, a lawyer representing New Mexico, requested the court award the state between $35 billion and $40 billion, asserting this amount would be supported by the jury's verdict and constitutional protections on due process. McGinn stated, "This court should speak to Meta in the only language it understands, which is money, and the value of its stock price."