Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion for Cambridge Analytica Violations

• •Meta ordered to pay $25 billion for violating New Mexico consumer protection laws.
• •The ruling stems from over 43 million violations linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
• •Meta plans to appeal the decision, arguing the penalty is excessive and unconstitutional.

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for over 43 million violations of state consumer protection laws related to the Cambridge Analytica data breach. The jury concluded that Meta misled users about its data privacy practices, particularly concerning a third-party app that harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated that the funds would be allocated to a state education fund. Meta plans to appeal the ruling, arguing that the state failed to prove any actual harm to its residents. The case marks one of the largest penalties imposed on a tech company for privacy violations in U.S. history. The state had originally sought a penalty between $35 billion and $40 billion. Meta's legal team contends that the penalty is unconstitutional and excessive. The company has faced scrutiny for its content moderation policies and handling of misinformation on its platform.