Meta faces trial in New Mexico over Cambridge Analytica data breach

A trial has commenced in Santa Fe, New Mexico, against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, regarding its role in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The state is pursuing an individual lawsuit, having opted not to join the multi-state coalition that recently reached a settlement with the company over child safety and privacy issues.

New Mexico alleges that Facebook failed to protect or notify users after a personality quiz harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles, which was then sold to the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. The data was reportedly used to generate targeted advertisements during the 2016 presidential election. The state estimates that roughly 350,000 New Mexicans were affected by the breach.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated that the case involves a “pattern of misrepresentation about how user data was collected, shared and exploited.” The state is seeking maximum civil penalties under the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act, which could reach $5,000 per violation, alongside an injunction to prevent future data breaches. The trial is expected to last approximately four weeks and may include video depositions from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former COO Sheryl Sandberg.