A state judge has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion in civil penalties after finding the company deceived Facebook users in New Mexico about who could access their personal information. The ruling, issued Wednesday by state District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew, follows a September jury verdict that found Meta liable for more than 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection statutes.
Ruling stems from Cambridge Analytica fallout
The case traces to the political-consulting firm Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook-derived data to build targeted political advertisements during the 2016 election cycle. Prosecutors argued Facebook misled users in New Mexico by promising they controlled access to their data — a claim Judge Mathew said in his written decision was false and central to the company’s business practices.
"Facebook promised users that they (the users) controlled their data. This was false," Judge Francis J. Mathew wrote in the ruling.
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the judgment should send an unmistakable message to Silicon Valley about consumer protections. At a news conference after the decision, Torrez framed the penalty as a rebuke of what he described as long-running, systemic misconduct.
Meta signals appeal
Meta’s chief legal officer, C.J. Mahoney, issued a statement criticizing the decision and indicating the company will appeal. Mahoney said the ruling and the state’s enforcement approach threaten to make business in New Mexico unworkable, characterizing the lawsuit as an attempt to "impose a tax on speech to enforce new rules for what people can say online."
The judgment is the largest monetary penalty to date imposed on the social media company related to the Cambridge Analytica matter. It follows a 2019 Federal Trade Commission action that resulted in a $5 billion fine against Meta.
- Penalty: $25 billion ordered by state court
- Jurisdictional finding: Over 43 million violations found by a jury in September
- Key actors: Judge Francis J. Mathew; Attorney General Raúl Torrez; Meta CLO C.J. Mahoney
The ruling raises immediate questions about the practical effect of such a large civil penalty, how it will be enforced, and the timeline for any appeals. Meta has stated confidence it will prevail in higher courts. For New Mexico officials, the decision represents a significant victory in a high-profile consumer privacy enforcement action and could shape future litigation and regulatory posture toward large technology platforms.
| Item | Amount / Result |
|---|---|
| Civil penalty ordered | $25 billion |
| Juried violations | More than 43 million |
| Prior federal penalty | $5 billion (FTC, 2019) |
The case underscores ongoing tensions between state-level consumer protection enforcement and major technology companies over data practices. As Meta prepares to appeal, the outcome will be watched closely by other states, technology firms, and consumer privacy advocates.
