Meta fined $25bn for 'lies' over user data privacy
A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay a $25 billion fine following a trial that found the company misled the public regarding user data privacy. The ruling stems from the Cambridge Analytica scandal and accusations that Meta intentionally deceived users about data sharing and content moderation practices.
Why it matters
This represents a record-breaking legal penalty for a tech giant, signaling a significant escalation in state-level regulatory efforts to hold social media companies accountable for data privacy and business ethics.
Image source, EPA Image caption, Meta has been hit with numerous legal fines this year
Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp has been hit with the largest ever fine against it for its business practices.
A judge in New Mexico on Wednesday ordered the company to pay $25bn (£18.6bn) following a two-week trial earlier this year that found it had spent years lying to the public about how it handled Facebook user data.
"The lies extend beyond Facebook's data practices as well," the judge said, adding they went to "the heart of Facebook's core business practices".
Meta's head lawyer CJ Mahoney said the ruling made it "all but impossible to do business in the state of New Mexico". The company intends to appeal, a move Mahoney said will be successful.
Headlinne story · 8 newsrooms
New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay Twenty Five Billion Dollars
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