In brief
A Los Alamos judge has ruled that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, must pay $25 bn for a 40‑month history of misleading the public about how it handled user data. The order follows evidence that senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, spread false statements about third‑party access to personal data, claiming it was never shared. The fines are part of a broader pattern of state‑level lawsuits, including a $1 bn penalty for misleading child‑safety claims, and an $18 bn settlement in California that also tackled privacy concerns. Meta intends to appeal the penalty, arguing that the amount exceeds constitutional limits. The case underscores a growing trend of courts holding powerful tech firms accountable for data‑privacy violations.
Meta was ordered to pay $25 bn – the largest fine ever levied against the tech giant – after a New Mexico judge found the company had spent years lying about how it managed Facebook user data.
The decision followed a two‑week trial that revealed senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, misled the public and the state, falsely claiming that third‑party access to personal information was never permitted. The judge described the deceit as “willful” and spanning more than 11 years.
New Mexico attorneys argued that roughly 2 million residents were harmed by Meta’s dishonesty, leading to an initial demand of $40 bn in fines. The court ultimately capped the penalty at $25 bn, roughly equal to the company’s quarterly profits.
Meta plans to appeal, asserting the amount is unconstitutional. The fine comes amid a series of high‑profile state lawsuits, including an almost $1 bn penalty for misleading child‑safety claims and an $18 bn settlement in California over child‑safety failures.
“No company is beyond the reach of the law,” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. The ruling signals a broader effort to hold powerful technology firms accountable for privacy violations.
For more on Meta’s legal challenges, see the related coverage of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and federal FTC actions.
