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Meta found liable in New Mexico Cambridge Analytica trial

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2026-09-26 01:48 UTC → 2026-09-26 02:53 UTC · added ~~removed~~

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 Throughout the proceedings, Meta’s legal team argued that the evidence presented was outdated and noted that the company has since enhanced its privacy protocols.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.~~ defense, citing constitutional protections regarding how it manages its platforms.

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