Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion Penalty in New Mexico Privacy Case Tied to Cambridge Analytica

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay a $25 billion penalty after a jury found the company violated the state's consumer protection laws. The verdict stems from Meta's handling of user data in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the political consulting firm harvested personal data from tens of millions of Facebook users without their explicit consent.

Meta said it plans to appeal the ruling. The company has consistently argued that it has made significant changes to its data practices since the Cambridge Analytica revelations became public in 2018.

The $25 billion figure is one of the largest penalties ever imposed on a technology company in a U.S. state court. New Mexico's consumer protection statutes allow for substantial penalties per violation, which contributed to the size of the award.

The Cambridge Analytica case has followed Meta for nearly a decade. The company paid a $5 billion settlement to the Federal Trade Commission in 2019 and has faced regulatory actions in Europe and other jurisdictions. The New Mexico verdict represents a new front in the ongoing legal fallout from the data privacy controversy.

Meta's legal challenges in October 2026 extend beyond the New Mexico case. The company is also navigating regulatory scrutiny in Europe over its AI data practices and faces ongoing antitrust proceedings in multiple jurisdictions.

The appeal process is expected to take years. Legal experts say the size of the penalty makes it likely that Meta will pursue every available avenue to reduce or overturn the award.