In brief
A New Mexico federal judge has imposed a $25bn penalty on Meta for intentionally deceiving the public about how it handles Facebook user data. The ruling follows a two‑week trial that exposed months of misinformation from senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg. The fine, the biggest yet against Meta, sharply trims an originally calculated $219bn penalty. The company has already settled other cases this year, including an $18bn deal with California, amid mounting scrutiny over its data practices.
Meta, the corporation behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been hit with another massive fine for its business practices.
A federal judge in New Mexico on Wednesday ordered the company to pay $25bn (£18.6bn) after a two‑week trial earlier this year found it had deliberately lied to the public about how it handled and controlled Facebook user data for years.
"The lies extend beyond Facebook's data practices as well," the judge said, adding that Meta's deception went to "the heart of its core business practices."
This fine is the largest imposed on Meta to date. The company has already faced or settled several other lawsuits this year, including an $18bn deal with California.
Judge Francis Mathew wrote that communications among senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, were "designed to mislead the public."
While the total penalty was calculated at $219bn based on thousands of state‑law violations, Judge Mathew reduced the amount to the $25bn fine.
A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
