New Mexico Jury Finds Facebook Liable for Deceiving Users About Privacy Protections
New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for 43 million privacy-deception violations tied to Cambridge Analytica; maximum penalties could exceed $200 billion.
A New Mexico jury found Facebook (Meta) liable for more than 43 million violations of state consumer protection law for deceiving users about privacy, stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which a third-party quiz harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles. The state seeks the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation, potentially exceeding $200 billion, with the judge to decide penalties at an Oct. 1 hearing. Meta disputes the verdict and points to updated policies, after an $18 billion multistate child-safety settlement and $942 million in prior New Mexico judgments this year. The jury rejected the state's claims about harmful content removal.