A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion on Wednesday for deceiving users about its data privacy practices, one of the largest penalties levied against a tech giant. New Mexico sued Meta in 2021 over a scandal involving the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, saying the social media company had misled users with its public statements about their data privacy. Last month, after a two-week trial, a jury in the State District Court in Santa Fe ruled against Meta, saying the company had committed 43 million violations of New Mexico's consumer protection laws.
Each violation carried a penalty of up to $5,000. Judge Francis J. Mathew issued the landmark penalty, writing that the "extraordinary number of willful violations" support the highest level of penalty.
The order is the biggest blow yet to Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, as it has racked up court losses over the harms its social media platforms have caused users. New Mexico has been leading the charge against Meta, winning similar cases including a $567 million damages order in August and a $375 million penalty in March. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing