A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion to the state after a jury found the company misled consumers regarding its data privacy policies. Judge Francis Mathew handed down the ruling in Santa Fe, which New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described as one of the largest state verdicts against a company in U.S. history. The decision follows a September 25 jury verdict that found Meta liable for deceiving users about how their personal information was handled.
The legal action originated from allegations that Facebook, a Meta platform, deceived users about a data breach involving Cambridge Analytica. In that incident, a third-party personality quiz harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles without consent to generate targeted political advertisements. New Mexico filed its lawsuit in 2021, accusing the company of lying about who had access to user data and how it managed hate speech and misinformation.
During the trial, jurors examined 29 statements made by Meta and its leadership, determining that 26 of them were misleading. The jury calculated that these statements resulted in more than 43 million violations of New Mexico's consumer protection laws, based on the number of residents or users who viewed the communications. While Meta's attorneys argued that the statements were "cherry-picked" and that the company had acknowledged its policies were not perfect, Judge Mathew noted that parties must accept the consequences of deciding to go to trial.
Users and parents in New Mexico may notice broader changes to social media operations following related litigation in the state. In a separate phase of proceedings involving child safety, the New Mexico Department of Justice won a $375 million verdict in March 2024 and secured a $942 million order in August 2026 requiring Meta to overhaul protections for minors. These orders include mandates for effective age verification and the removal of predators, though it is not yet reported when these specific platform changes will be fully implemented for the general public.
The $25 billion judgment sets a precedent for how state consumer protection laws can be applied to the communications of large technology firms. Meta has previously argued that such astronomical penalties violate constitutional due process provisions, suggesting a potential for future appeals. While Judge Mathew has issued this financial order, the New Mexico Department of Justice has indicated it will continue to seek further court-mandated changes to Meta’s company operations and platform features in ongoing legal proceedings.