BREAKING: Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion in New Mexico Facebook Privacy Case

The massive civil penalty follows a jury’s finding that the social media giant misled consumers about their privacy. Meta is expected to appeal.

Hip Hop Enquirer | October 21, 2026

SANTA FE, N.M. — Meta has been ordered to pay New Mexico $25 billion following a consumer protection trial tied to Facebook’s privacy practices and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, delivering a major courtroom defeat to the social media company.

State District Judge Francis Mathew imposed the penalty Wednesday after a September jury found more than 43 million violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws. The judge determined that the conduct supported the maximum statutory penalty of $5,000 per violation—a calculation exceeding $219 billion—but reduced the award to $25 billion. New Mexico had sought between $35 billion and $40 billion.

The lawsuit grew out of revelations that Cambridge Analytica obtained personal information from as many as 87 million Facebook users through a third-party application. The political consulting firm, which worked for Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, used Facebook data for voter profiling and targeting. New Mexico sued in 2021, challenging the company’s representations about privacy and other platform practices.

For New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, the judgment represents a warning that promises about protecting consumers can carry enormous financial consequences.

“This judgement should be a signal, an unambiguous message, to Silicon Valley,” Torrez said at a news conference, according to The Associated Press.

Meta has disputed the state’s case. Its attorneys argued that New Mexico failed to establish that consumers were actually harmed by the challenged statements and raised constitutional objections to the size of the proposed penalty. The company previously indicated it would appeal the September verdict. AP reported that Meta representatives did not immediately respond to its request for comment on Wednesday’s penalty.

The money is designated for New Mexico’s education system, although an appeal could delay collection. The order therefore does not mean the state has already received $25 billion or that individual Facebook users will receive payments.

For creators, independent publishers and businesses that build audiences on social media, the case raises a broader issue of trust: what platforms promise about personal information, and whether those promises match their practices.

The next major question is whether the judgment survives appellate review. Wednesday’s order establishes an enormous financial consequence for Meta, while leaving the final outcome subject to further court proceedings.