# Meta found liable in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica trial > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/meta-cambridge-analytica-trial-in-new-mexico > Updated: 2026-09-25T13:05:00.000Z. Sources: 48. Developments: 3. A jury in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has found Meta Platforms liable for deceiving users regarding privacy protections. The verdict concludes a trial centered on the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which a third-party personality quiz harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles to facilitate targeted political advertising. The New Mexico Department of Justice alleged that Facebook committed more than 40 million violations of the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act. Prosecutors argued the company’s failure to protect data impacted the state’s entire population of over two million residents. The jury specifically found the company liable for misleading the public about investigations into data brokers following the initial scandal. New Mexico is noted as the only U.S. state to pursue this specific case to trial, as other states reached separate settlements with Meta. While the state is seeking the maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation—which could theoretically result in billions of dollars in fines—the final amount remains to be determined by Judge Francis Mathew. The lawsuit, filed by the New Mexico attorney general in 2021, targeted statements made by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and various company blog posts, which the state argued gave users a “false sense of control” over their personal information. Throughout the proceedings, Meta’s legal team argued that the evidence presented was outdated and noted that the company has since enhanced its privacy protocols. Meta has expressed disagreement with the verdict and intends to continue its defense, citing constitutional protections regarding how it manages its platforms. ## Claims - A New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for deceiving users regarding privacy protections. (corroborated by 29 sources) - A third-party personality quiz harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles. (corroborated by 29 sources) - New Mexico attorneys are seeking a maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation. (corroborated by 29 sources) - The failure to protect user data impacted New Mexico’s population of more than two million people. (corroborated by 19 sources) - Facebook lawyers argued that the state's evidence was outdated. (corroborated by 6 sources) - Meta argues that the company does not sell personally identifiable information. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Facebook was found to have committed more than 40 million violations of the New Mexico Unfair Practices Act. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Facebook misrepresented its data policies for third-party apps and knew about the exposure before the 2016 election. (single source) - Meta conducted a two-year, $130 million review resulting in the removal of 125,000 apps. (single source) - Mark Zuckerberg testified that app developers required user permission to access data. (single source) - The state alleges 350,000 New Mexicans had personal data exposed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-25: Meta found liable by New Mexico jury in Cambridge Analytica privacy case A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for deceiving users about privacy protections in a case linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, potentially facing billions in fines. 44 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/facebook-found-liable-in-new-mexico-for-deceiving-users-about-privacy ### 2026-09-23: Meta faces New Mexico jury deliberations over Cambridge Analytica data scandal A New Mexico jury is deliberating a lawsuit against Meta, alleging the company deceived users and allowed the personal data of 350,000 residents to be exposed in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/meta-faces-new-mexico-jury-deliberations-over-cambridge-analytica-data-scandal ### 2026-09-09: Meta faces trial in New Mexico over Cambridge Analytica data breach New Mexico is taking Meta to trial over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, alleging the company failed to protect user data used for targeted political ads during the 2016 election. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/meta-faces-trial-in-new-mexico-over-cambridge-analytica-data-breach --- Cite as: Meta found liable in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica trial. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/meta-cambridge-analytica-trial-in-new-mexico