US judge orders Meta to pay record $25 billion over Facebook privacy violations

A United States judge has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion following a jury's finding that the company misled Facebook users about privacy protections and control over their personal data. New Mexico state District Judge Francis Mathew issued the ruling, stating: "Facebook promised users that they controlled their data. This was false."

The penalty stems from a jury determination that Meta violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws more than 43 million times. State Attorney General Raul Torrez described the decision as one of the largest state verdicts against a company in United States history, emphasizing it should signal to technology companies that such behaviour will not be tolerated. The entire award will be directed into a fund supporting New Mexico's education system.

During the hearing, Meta's lawyer Matt Nicholson argued that even a penalty as high as $40 billion would be excessive, contending that the jury had not demonstrated individual New Mexican residents had been directly harmed by the company's statements. However, Randi McGinn, representing the state, countered by urging the court to confront "tech titans who think they are bulletproof and can do whatever they want." The award substantially exceeds the $5 billion fine imposed by the Federal Trade Commission in 2019, and addresses accusations that Meta deceived users regarding who could access their personal information and how harmful content was moderated on its platforms.