A New Mexico court found Meta liable for over 43 million violations of the state's unfair practices act, resulting in a substantial penalty reduced from an initial $219.5 billion. The jury's findings highlighted the intentional and systematic nature of Meta's misleading practices regarding user data protection.
This ruling follows a series of legal challenges for Meta related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which previously led to a $17 billion settlement with other states and a $725 million class action settlement. The current New Mexico case, initiated by former Attorney General Hector Balderas and overseen by current AG Raúl Torrez, underscores ongoing scrutiny of Meta's data handling practices.
Meta has indicated plans to appeal the ruling, which could prolong its legal battles and affect investor confidence in the company's governance and compliance with data privacy regulations