Updated 6m ago · Tech
Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion for Misleading New Mexico Consumers
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion on Wednesday. The ruling follows a September jury verdict tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
- 43 million-plus violations of state consumer protection law, the jury found.
- $5,000 per violation is the maximum penalty under state law.
- $219.5 billion was the initial award before the cut to $25 billion.
- 87 million Facebook users had data harvested by Cambridge Analytica.
Why it matters: New Mexico was the only state to take its Cambridge Analytica case to trial. Attorney General Raúl Torrez said all of the money will fund state education.
- The state asked for $35 billion to $40 billion.
- Meta argued it should pay no more than $3.4 billion.
- Outlets differ on the August multistate settlement: CNBC says nearly $17 billion, the Globe $18 billion.
How 44 sources split on this story
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44 sources · 50 articles · 43% Left coverage
Where they split: The core dispute is whether violations can be counted by how many residents saw Meta's statements, without proof anyone was harmed.
Center coverage, 19 sources: The center treats it as a major financial penalty within Meta's long run of privacy and child-safety cases.
CNBC6hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica caseCTV News3hU.S. judge orders Meta to pay US$25 billion after jury found company deceived usersUSA Today3hMeta ordered to pay record $25 billion for misleading users on privacyAssociated Press2hMeta ordered to pay New Mexico $25 billion for deceiving users about privacy on FacebookAxios5hMeta hit with $25 billion penalty for misleading Facebook usersBBC News5hMeta fined $25bn for 'lies' over user data privacyBloomberg5hMeta to Pay Historic $25 Billion in New Mexico Deception CaseDeutsche Welle3hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion in Cambridge Analytica caseEngadget2hMeta Ordered To Cough Up $25 Billion In New Mexico Privacy CaseFortune4hNew Mexico took on Meta by itself and won a $25 billion judgment over Facebook’s privacy violations | FortuneFrance 242hMeta fined $25 billion in New Mexico over Cambridge Analytica scandalIBTimes4hA New Mexico Judge Ordered Meta to Pay $25 Billion For a Case. Its Stock is Still Climbing.KSAT 12 San Antonio6hMeta ordered to pay New Mexico $25 billion for deceiving users about privacy on FacebookNewsweek37mMeta's biggest legal settlements after $25B Trump campaign data penaltyPBS NewsHour3hMeta must pay New Mexico $25 billion, its biggest fine ever, for deceiving users about Facebook privacyReuters5hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico after jury finds company misled consumers about data privacyThe Hill5hJudge orders Meta to pay New Mexico $25B in Cambridge Analytica caseThe National Desk4hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion in penalties as part of a data privacy caseYahoo News3hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico after jury finds company misled consumers about data privacy
Left coverage, 19 sources: The left frames the case as a state holding a tech giant accountable under its consumer protection law.
The Independent4hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty in Cambridge Analytica caseThe Boston Globe5hMeta to pay New Mexico $25b after Cambridge Analytica trialThe Verge2hMeta says it would’ve made over $22 billion if it didn’t have to pay a child safety settlementABC News5hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion for deceiving users about privacy on FacebookAl Jazeera2hJudge orders Meta to pay $25bn in fines for Facebook privacy violationsBusiness Insider5hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion penalty over Cambridge Analytica caseCBS News5hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico for misleading consumers about data privacyCNN1hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion in New Mexico case over Cambridge Analytica scandalGizmodo3hJudge Orders Meta to Pay $25 Billion Over Decade-Old Facebook ScandalHuffPost5hMeta Hit With $25 Billion Judgment For Deceiving New Mexico Users About PrivacyLos Angeles Times1hMeta hit with $25-billion penalty for misleading users about privacyMediaite5hJUST IN: Meta Ordered to Pay Whopping $25 Billion Privacy Breach SettlementMSNBC4hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion over data privacy deceptionPolitico3hNew Mexico judge orders Meta to pay state $25B over privacy practicesRaw Story43mJudge rips Trump ally’s ‘clearly intentional’ deception with historic penalty: reportTechCrunch3hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion in case related to Cambridge Analytica scandal | TechCrunchThe Guardian4hMeta ordered to pay $25bn to New Mexico in Cambridge Analytica data-privacy caseThe New York Times5hMeta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion for Deceiving Users on PrivacyVariety4hMeta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion in New Mexico Data Privacy Case
Right coverage, 6 sources: The right ties the penalty to the scandal over user data in the 2016 presidential election.
New York Post2hCali judge blasts Meta's 'attorney-client privilege' swag hats, rejects company's request to use AI for document reviewCitizen Free Press5hZuck ordered to pay $25 billion penalty.The Gateway Pundit3hJUST IN: Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion Penalty for Misleading Facebook Users About Data Privacy * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina LailaThe Washington Times4hMeta ordered to pay $25 billion for violating New Mexico's consumer protection lawThe Western Journal8hBREAKING: Meta Forced to Pay $25 Billion Settlement for Privacy BreachWashington Examiner4hMeta hit with $25 billion penalty over Cambridge Analytica data lawsuit
What’s next: Meta plans to appeal. Interest on the penalty would accrue during the appeal, and the violation count could shrink.
- The state is also seeking an injunction against similar practices.
- Will an appeals court accept counting violations by audience size rather than proven harm?
- How did the judge arrive at $25 billion from the $219.5 billion figure?
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