A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties after a jury found the company violated the state’s unfair practices law more than 43 million times. The decision represents the largest legal setback the firm has faced this year, adding to a series of other losses and settlement agreements.
The verdict stems from a September trial in which the jury concluded that Meta misled consumers about how it safeguards their data and about its efforts to curb misinformation and hate speech on its platforms. The case originated from a 2021 complaint filed in the wake of earlier revelations that the UK political consultancy Cambridge Analytica harvested data from millions of Facebook users.
The ruling underscores ongoing scrutiny of Meta’s data‑privacy practices and its responsibility to protect users from harmful content.