# New Mexico Court Orders Meta to Pay $25 Billion Fine for Facebook Privacy Deception

> A New Mexico court mandated Meta Platforms, Inc. to pay a record $25 billion fine on October 21, 2026, after a jury found the company lied to Facebook users about data privacy.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-22T00:49:40.880665Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/new-mexico-court-orders-meta-to-pay-25-billion-fine-for-facebook-privacy-deception-6055ca36

A New Mexico court ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to pay a record-setting fine of $25 billion on October 21, 2026, after a jury found the company liable for deceiving users about Facebook privacy [4][2][3]. This penalty marks the largest fine ever levied against Meta for privacy-related issues [1].

This ruling signals a significant shift in tech accountability and consumer protection within the United States [3]. The substantial size of the fine surpasses previous major settlements and sets a precedent for how technology companies might be held responsible for misleading users about data practices [1].

## What the records show
On October 21, 2026, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion [4]. This followed a September jury verdict that found Meta liable for deceiving Facebook users in New Mexico regarding access to their data [2][11]. The jury determined Meta was responsible for "nearly 44 million violations" of consumer protection laws related to Facebook privacy [12][15]. State District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew stated in his ruling that "Facebook promised users that they (the users) controlled their data. This was false" [8]. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described the verdict as a "warning for tech companies that New Mexico will hold them accountable" [3]. The state's case centered on accusations that Facebook misled users about a data breach involving a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles and sold it to Cambridge Analytica [14].

## The timeline
The legal action is directly connected to the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which involved the misuse of user data during Donald Trump's first presidential campaign [4]. Jurors in September found Meta liable for millions of violations of New Mexico consumer protection laws [10][11]. On October 21, 2026, a New Mexico court issued the order for Meta to pay $25 billion [4].

## What changed and for whom
The $25 billion fine is the largest to date against Facebook's owner, exceeding an $18 billion deal with California [1]. For Meta, the ruling means a substantial financial obligation, though the company plans to appeal the September verdict [11]. For Facebook users in New Mexico, the judgment represents a win for consumer protection against deceptive data practices [3]. New Mexico's Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated the fine sends an "unambiguous message" to Silicon Valley [6]. Under the New Mexico Constitution, fines for consumer protection violations are allocated towards state education spending [11].

## What the subject has said publicly
Meta's representatives did not immediately comment on the amount of the fine as of the reporting date [11]. The company had previously stated its intention to appeal the September jury verdict [11]. Earlier, Meta had rejected the allegations, arguing that the lawsuit threatened freedom of expression online and sought to "impose a tax on speech to enforce new rules for what people can say online" [7].

## What we could not confirm
We could not confirm the exact number of individual Facebook users in New Mexico affected by the deceptive privacy practices [2][12][15]. We could not confirm the specific details of Meta's planned appeal, including the timeline or the grounds for the appeal [11].

## Evidence cited
1. Meta fined $25bn for 'lies' over user data privacy (www.bbc.co.uk) — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqdr8zxrr3dxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
2. Judge orders Meta to pay $25bn in fines for Facebook privacy violations (www.aljazeera.com) — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/21/judge-orders-meta-to-pay-25bn-in-fines-for-facebook-privacy-violations?traffic_source=rss
3. Meta must pay New Mexico $25 billion, its biggest fine ever, for deceiving users about Facebook privacy (www.pbs.org) — https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/meta-must-pay-new-mexico-25-billion-its-biggest-fine-ever-for-deceiving-users-about-facebook-privacy
4. Meta ordered to pay $25 billion in Cambridge Analytica case (www.dw.com) — https://www.dw.com/en/meta-ordered-to-pay-25-billion-in-cambridge-analytica-case/a-79726486?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
5. Meta fined $25b in US for deceiving users about Facebook privacy (www.abc.net.au) — https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964
6. (October 21 2026) A judge on Wednesday ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for deceiving users about privacy, in what marks the largest fine ever against the owner of Facebook. The verdict should be seen as a warning for tech companies that New Mexico will hold them accountable. state Attorney General Raúl Torrez said at a news conference. “This judgement should be a signal, an unambiguous message, to Silicon Valley,” Torrez said. Under the New ... Ju (boston25news.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQG8gVhVEnfQMF8-lDnV1YPEJwW_kP8y5fZd3HHgdo-Uc_GaUYi9hO6x4yDy1T7A1kuM6R-avjlQpSf809HhA_ARNUhhORW7MaG41xHChhDrmduf5FFZrW8IZ_g_QAbjc4mTe-NRaV9wbfU5DkX3bhFXjj2KalphgUNPOxSLebhnpsJVVCux9aWyKIfcpNANzFS49AOKe6c
7. (October 21 2026) The jury found that Meta had intentionally misled the public on those claims as well. Meta rejected the allegations, arguing that the lawsuit threatened freedom of expression online. "At its core, this lawsuit seeks to impose a tax on speech to enforce new rules for what people can say online," Mahoney added. Also Read: US midterms: Democrats sue Trump administration over alleged 'threats and intimidation' ahead of election, Musk issues warning to Dems. Trending Stories ... Jur (wionews.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFKK4F9zU0q6yK_EyRzQ_owqsY-aGJqgM2clebY3rIYAlRfHV8UuZvcZB-X2FZIrESbssyLu47ehtCQ0oPUD_H93X_1s7owl2oQLv0F2pNUd9fvm78lpqei2XH91uVWbPw_AW5sCWD0WdwtA1EDSISZOk5AWwzQ9do-s9H9dwZaBIxfJwu-o4BF6RNl0rzAhVjhUnspa8khswM7Flpi7BrxxBM5uoKex1TBoNqRLKe9nggwbJpz90Af-byNAUaXNc9XU3Av1LlZNTU=
8. (October 21 2026) A judge on Wednesday ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook, marking the biggest fine ever against the tech giant. Facebook's conduct was intentional and executives consistently misled users about how the platform worked, state District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew wrote in his ruling. “Facebook promised users that they (the users) controlled their data. This was false,” he said. ... Jury f (reflector.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEb5hKKqGUoweWniA_xvR0AkwzPTvpwkxLEBc4Y0PdwNvuzhipshozCcn7aevtk1PNx9Tqnk9WZZ7abGSO7czD6FRgjTc37F6aeIEKsZ7MwoxT9MvSYpiOOvqsroAbW1dR2p7n4u3Doqvrilji6S5Si0eRLA3A6FlAo3QKy0fDKJKdhsoYg0bN8-16pwtGAYWRwz_mXkm2zmR07sBlUuXcKELA4YofIhzT_hQbv-lhivQP5yOttWyNssX31OoHTFEuaQq1zCNw_jvnFK6xO95MbJ8TvltRi_MKcDQB1Fas=
9. (October 21 2026) A judge on Wednesday ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook, marking the biggest fine ever against the tech giant. Facebook's conduct was intentional and executives consistently misled users about how the platform worked, state District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew wrote in his ruling. “Facebook promised users that they (the users) controlled their data. This was false,” he said. State Atto (wftv.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQEoVG1Wrbi7h9tLPaT1Ee4coq733aCwdY1gEtWjhKQXJF7mI-qHJ1EdAxAm7zjclexGC1d7ThevRjCezIiHNIIEdRJf8c_4y2yBhoWEKZWMIcZ9q9S2yC3jvowm-vmzdjhPqz_sc1ETV1Ps9eS1GjsjwjqxskFBHEZY8kyMjslVWI3aCBxokECZNC6s2Y2r
10. (October 21 2026) Jurors in September found Meta liable for over 43 million violations of New Mexico consumer protection laws when a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, harvested Facebook user data to generate targeted political ads for the 2016 election. Attorneys for New Mexico had sought $35 billion to $40 billion, arguing that the company would only change its ways with a sum that affected its stock price. Lawyers for Meta argued for paying no more than $3.4 billion. An award 10  (wbrz.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGW31aUtkQvPPncb7_6bVB5F709OfVRQNUwy4oDTqaWwbGwvPC1l0jdu22DjXboilv19nB58pS0uwmlL131uEGoCh_HBtox7UYuDkFW2LRgkw_64vsToWbFJuV9wS5zzP2lBK7D-sW9BlemYPQ-hEg14wBT7njBnFA0DD2zGLbR3piiCd6IT-OQuvKiLW9_5MbJ8TvltRi_MKcDQB1Fas=
11. (October 21 2026) Under the New Mexico Constitution, fines for violations of consumer protection laws go toward state education spending. "We may have paid for the construction of schools for the next 100 years," said Torrez, who acknowledged that the money would be tied up as Meta appeals. Representatives for Meta, which previously said it plans to appeal the September verdict, didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment about the amount. The Menlo Park, California-based company was (pbs.org) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFt3gG1AOEthGRxShZNAiVrVYbCKNsw0-GzKN727S3EWQwIaq26PwVmc-4rlzCcFjvwSTI-dM5mT80IDaYMYnU1AZk06CWhn8x1-d2D_M6XvehNBjIHJkwNKo_NJ0jyJszoiJ0X98ua1nwTNDH8x3hyMLpQfn_USsX_UFWU6N3GHPqEDHUfpdCo8NnnEUXM9KCQ5VeXy4XkX6U9Gw8roKrpM_OyeNHk-jhO-J496WNHBPnRKkJlLueRU57XbEgyvMmcNROR
12. (October 21 2026) "A New Mexico jury found nearly 44 million violations of our consumer protection statute, and this penalty order demonstrates that those violations carry real consequences. We took on one of the largest companies in the world because New Mexicans deserve honesty, accountability, and the protection of their personal information. Today's result makes clear that no corporation is too powerful to be held accountable." "This case has always been about more than one company or one sc (commondreams.org) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFKwrkqgWx_DxbJBuUGZuFRZbICZ_lNuntquq__R2o7NRzqmWgx87Af2-YW_6uxq6qS6gtRCzjX-j6QvBDtLJcoVLicmVhT1BYG0M67GKnSUAbhikJLEu64ca06Dqt6zZ29s4xULGl00TU=
13. (October 21 2026) A judge in New Mexico ordered social media giant Meta to pay a $25 billion judgment Wednesday over millions of violations of consumer protections laws, a penalty the state's attorney general said appeared to be the largest of its kind ever issued. The judgment extends state Attorney General Raúl Torrez's winning record against the company, following victories earlier this year in child safety cases. Torrez ... (washingtonpost.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGmJuicwXvPqK0535BWwYmSqrAF-Z9SrywkCXqFamLU4SDe_MQjjSqBmXY99W7uMSh5fQ1BO_IPOMIGHm9gagx8El2bNzj9I-9606JErc1D-1-X8RP5UmlGreFp2l_8pIgOOHXM0B9nToUYUAPZK2onpVJvZssyL4VeC3C-_7t_2gPciNIU0uuoiim50NrFIZm4I0jQi4Djm9MWflQDvEE1uWydLzqp2k5R
14. (October 21 2026) Under the New Mexico Constitution, fines for violations of consumer protection laws go toward state education spending. Torrez acknowledged the money would be tied up as Meta appeals. Company argues that the state failed to prove harm. The state's case focused on accusations that Facebook deceived users about a data breach stemming from a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analy (ljworld.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQF7DFUxVrjlCgl6XqlaiuNtImFj6QlzAakRuSE-RyxmL1vRx5dkqZXC2JNUDBLD8W-Mxd5y1-j9JJhub5ZOprnCY0M8AAOdFxnvEXXJuZFJcxXUx8TSjt6bugJgFRWpqeXVn7bF-I61uB1bvzTTnaU_Ind7bIzqwgIV-IPWXtDu2sbJ6RdoA60V12OMDBtZqUweqM2YWWUlZXYQLILmiEvkYLSTZjR6wAJ4FF0omeQxs3VV3qgHs3HXUgKYUtRZlgP8E9C0Efjr3bY=
15. (October 21 2026) New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has announced a $25 billion penalty against Facebook in connection with the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The penalty, one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed on a corporation in U.S. history, stems from violations of New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act. A jury found Facebook responsible for nearly 44 million violations of the state's consumer protection statute. Meta is appealing the ruling, but even that comes with a new risk,  (mi-3.com.au) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQHF4hTUNKE5X2vriT3xzM6UIjADWxt6XnvoxsRK836JtVeZBnPo1mPZ6gS0TYomBvXyYd9YyJUA7PLWHfWYDTJHYXGDdIZlXN2nmhXypg59FgrAYOZvAtW1MPdbqcQKWONTaVoogkmUMX7h6Z5s9phhmA9Pqvx4dbz2KEFZVcnuPMyb7INbayXtZtEJcORq-Lgwf1_JcgmLgkKIHVToDCG-ttU5Nn0=
16. (October 21 2026) The jury found that Meta had intentionally misled the public on those claims as well. Meta rejected the allegations, arguing that the lawsuit threatened freedom of expression online. "At its core, this lawsuit seeks to impose a tax on speech to enforce new rules for what people can say online," Mahoney added. Also Read: US midterms: Democrats sue Trump administration over alleged 'threats and intimidation' ahead of election, Musk issues warning to Dems. Trending Stories ... Jur (wionews.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQFKK4F9zU0q6yK_EyRzQ_owqsY-aGJqgM2clebY3rIYAlRfHV8UuZvcZB-X2FZIrESbssyLu47ehtCQ0oPUD_H93X_1s7owl2oQLv0F2pNUd9fvm78lpqei2XH91uVWbPw_AW5sCWD0WdwtA1EDSISZOk5AWwzQ9do-s9H9dwZaBIxfJwu-o4BF6RNl0rzAhVjhUnspa8khswM7Flpi3BrxxBM5uoKex1TBoNqRLKe9nggwbJpz90Af-byNAUaXNc9XU3Av1LlZNTU=
17. (October 21 2026) A judge in New Mexico ordered social media giant Meta to pay a $25 billion judgment Wednesday over millions of violations of consumer protections laws, a penalty the state's attorney general said appeared to be the largest of its kind ever issued. The judgment extends state Attorney General Raúl Torrez's winning record against the company, following victories earlier this year in child safety cases. Torrez ... (washingtonpost.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQGmJuicwXvPqK0535BWwYmSqrAF-Z9SrywkCXqFamLU4SDe_MQjjSqBmXY99W7uMSh5fQ1BO_IPOMIGHm9gagx8El2bNzj9I-9606JErc1D-1-X8RP5UmlGreFp2l_8pIgOOHXM0B9nToUYUAPZK2onpVJvZssyL4VeC3C-_7t_2gPciNIU0uuoiim50NrFIZm4I0jQi4Djm7MWflQDvEE1uWydLzqp2k5R
18. (October 21 2026) Under the New Mexico Constitution, fines for violations of consumer protection laws go toward state education spending. Torrez acknowledged the money would be tied up as Meta appeals. Company argues that the state failed to prove harm. The state's case focused on accusations that Facebook deceived users about a data breach stemming from a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analy (ljworld.com) — https://vertexaisearch.cloud.google.com/grounding-api-redirect/AUZIYQF7DFUxVrjlCgl6XqlaiuNtImFj6QlzAakRuSE-RyxmL1vRx5dkqZXC2JNUDBLD8W-Mxd5y1-j9JJhub5ZOprnCY0M8AAOdFxnvEXXJuZFJcxXUx8TSjt3bugJgFRWpqeXVn7bF-I61uB1bvzTTnaU_Ind7bIzqwgIV-IPWXtDu2sbJ6RdoA60V12OMDBtZqUweqM2YWWUlZXYQLILmiEvkYLSTZjR6wAJ4FF0omeQxs3VV3qgHs3HXUgKYUtRZlgP8E9C0Efjr3bY=