Meta Faces $25 Billion Penalty Over Facebook Privacy Violations

Meta has been ordered to pay $25 billion following a ruling by a New Mexico jury that found Facebook misled consumers regarding privacy and control over personal data. The penalty was imposed by Judge Francis Mathew on October 21, after jurors identified 43,899,725 violations of New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act.

The case included claims related to Facebook's handling of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and how users were informed about controlling their information. Meta disputes the ruling and plans to appeal, indicating that the $25 billion should not be considered as already paid.

New Mexico law permits penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, which could have led to a significantly larger penalty; however, Judge Mathew opted for the $25 billion amount, citing the scale and duration of the misconduct identified by the jury. Meta contends that the penalty is excessive and legally flawed.