Meta Fined $25 Billion Over Facebook Data Privacy Claims

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $25 billion after a jury found that the company misled Facebook users about their personal data. Meta plans to appeal the ruling. The case centers on privacy claims linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, faces a $25 billion penalty in the United States. Judge Francis Mathew issued the order on October 21, 2026, following a jury verdict in September

The jury found that Meta made misleading statements about how Facebook collected, shared and protected users’ personal information. It identified more than 43 million violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez welcomed the decision. He said companies must face consequences when they mislead consumers about their personal information.

Meta’s chief legal officer, C.J. Mahoney, said the company expects to win on appeal. Meta argued that the ruling threatens its business operations and online speech.

Cambridge Analytica Scandal Behind the Case

The lawsuit dates back to 2021. It focused on claims that Facebook misled users about a data breach involving a third party personality quiz.

The quiz collected information from as many as 87 million Facebook profiles. The data reached Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm that used personal information for political profiling and targeted advertising.

The case also examined Facebook’s public assurances about users’ control over their data. The judge found that company leaders had repeatedly misled consumers about its privacy practices.

The $25 billion penalty exceeds the $5 billion fine imposed on Facebook by the US Federal Trade Commission in 2019 over the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Meta Also Faces Child-Safety Claims

The ruling comes as Meta faces other legal challenges over its platforms’ impact on young users.

In August 2026, Meta agreed to a multistate settlement worth up to $18 billion over claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed teenagers and misled the public about safety risks. The agreement also includes measures to strengthen protections for young users.

That settlement is separate from the New Mexico privacy case. Meta has denied wrongdoing in the child-safety litigation.