New Mexico Jury Finds Meta Liable for Willfully Deceiving Facebook Users Over Privacy
Quick Look
- A New Mexico jury found Meta Platforms liable for willfully deceiving Facebook users about privacy and platform policies, citing over 43 million violations tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
- The state seeks up to $5,000 per violation, potentially totaling $219 billion in penalties.
- Meta denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal, adding to its growing legal challenges over data practices and child safety.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The case originates from the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which user data from Facebook was harvested without consent for political profiling, including during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. New Mexico filed its lawsuit in 2021, alleging Meta misled users about third-party data access and its internal investigations following the scandal.
A New Mexico jury has found Meta Platforms liable for willfully deceiving Facebook users over privacy and platform policies, handing the social media giant yet another major legal defeat this year.
The case stems from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which erupted in 2018 after a whistleblower report claiming that the British political consultancy obtained data from tens of millions of Facebook users without their consent through a third-party app.
The data was used for voter profiling and political targeting, including during Donald Trump’s successful 2016 presidential campaign. Cambridge Analytica collapsed within months, while Facebook was hit with billions in fines and settlements over its handling of user data.
New Mexico filed its case in 2021, joining a wave of legal action over the scandal. The state accused Meta of misleading users about third-party access to their data and Facebook’s investigations into data brokers after the Cambridge Analytica revelations.
After a two-week trial, jurors ruled on Friday that Meta had willfully deceived consumers, amounting to more than 43 million violations affecting New Mexico’s entire population of over 2 million. A judge will now determine the penalty, with the state seeking up to $5,000 per violation – putting the theoretical maximum at a staggering $219 billion.
Meta denied wrongdoing and insisted it had been transparent about the shortcomings in its handling of privacy and misinformation. A spokesperson said the company disagreed with the verdict and will continue defending itself “against efforts to distort our record.”
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez argued that the trial exposed “in stark detail the way in which this company plays fast and loose with the rules,” calling the outcome a “historic verdict” in efforts to hold Big Tech accountable.
The ruling is Meta’s latest major defeat in New Mexico. In March, another Santa Fe jury found it liable for 75,000 violations over child safety and imposed $375 million in penalties. A local judge later branded Meta’s platforms a “public nuisance” and ordered another $567 million in remedies. Meta has said it will appeal.
Meta’s legal exposure extends beyond New Mexico. Last month, the company agreed to pay roughly $17 billion to settle claims by dozens of US states and territories that it deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children and misled the public about the risks. That deal included a settlement of claims tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but New Mexico did not join it, allowing its case to proceed to trial.
Meta is not alone in facing mounting scrutiny over Big Tech’s data practices. Last month, TikTok and parent ByteDance agreed to pay $400 million to settle US allegations that the platform illegally collected children’s personal data without required parental consent. Google, Apple, Netflix and other tech giants have likewise faced privacy-related litigation.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Meta will appeal the jury's verdict to a higher court.
Very likely · Within weeks
The judge will impose financial penalties on Meta, though likely below the maximum sought by New Mexico.
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific penalty will the judge impose on Meta for the 43 million violations?
- Will Meta appeal the verdict, and if so, on what grounds?
- How will this ruling affect ongoing or future privacy litigation against Meta in other jurisdictions?
- Does the verdict include findings related to Meta's knowledge or intent regarding data sharing practices?
