# New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay $25 Billion for Data Privacy Deception

> On October 21, 2026, a New Mexico state judge ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion for deceiving Facebook users about data privacy, following a jury verdict for millions of consumer protection violations.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-25T00:55:29.643202Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/new-mexico-judge-orders-meta-to-pay-25-billion-for-data-privacy-deception-3d8d9a92

On October 21, 2026, State District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew in New Mexico ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion in fines for deceiving Facebook users about their data privacy practices [1][2][3]. This judgment followed a September jury verdict that found Meta liable for over 43 million violations of New Mexico's consumer protection laws [2][4][6].

This unprecedented penalty, described by New Mexico's Attorney General Raúl Torrez as "one of the largest, if not the single largest state verdict against a company in American history," signals a significant legal consequence for tech companies regarding user data handling [3]. The award is designated for New Mexico's school system [5].

## What the Records Show
Judge Mathew's 20-page ruling described Meta's actions as a "systematic pattern of deception" at the core of Facebook's business model [1][2]. The judge stated that the wrongdoing involved Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and stood "at the heart of the company's business" [1]. The ruling emphasized the significant harm caused, with Mathew writing, "The harm in this matter is difficult to overstate" [1]. The jury, in September, concluded that Meta, when known as Facebook, made false or misleading statements by telling consumers they controlled how their information was shared, and that it did not sell or share personal information with advertisers [3]. Jurors found over 43 million violations of New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act [2][4][6].

## Timeline
New Mexico sued Facebook in 2021, accusing the company of mishandling residents' personal information and deceiving users about its policies, in connection with the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal [2][3][5]. The scandal involved the improper obtaining of private information from as many as 87 million Facebook users by political analytics firm Cambridge Analytica, which used the data to build profiles of American voters [2][3]. A jury verdict in September found Meta liable for over 43 million violations of state consumer protection laws [2][4][6]. Judge Mathew issued the final judgment on October 21, 2026 [1][2].

## What Changed and for Whom
The $25 billion judgment is set to benefit school construction in New Mexico [5]. Attorney General Torrez stated this judgment "should be a clear warning to everyone in Big Tech" [1]. This decision is Meta's latest court loss this year, following earlier child safety cases and settlements [1][2][5].

## What Meta Has Said Publicly
Meta has declared its intent to appeal the decision [1][2][3]. C.J. Mahoney, Meta's chief legal officer, stated the ruling and the Attorney General's enforcement approach makes it "all but impossible to do business in the state of New Mexico" [1][3][4]. Mahoney also asserted that the lawsuit "seeks to impose a tax on speech" to enforce new rules for online content [1][4].

## What We Could Not Confirm
The specific details of Meta's planned appeal strategy were not confirmed. The precise timeline for the allocation of the $25 billion to New Mexico's school system also remains unconfirmed.

## Evidence cited
1. Meta ordered to pay $25B in New Mexico for misleading users on privacy - The Washington Post (washingtonpost.com) — https://www.washingtonpost.com/
2. Meta ordered to pay $25 billion in New Mexico case over Cambridge Analytica scandal - CNN (cnn.com) — https://www.cnn.com/
3. Meta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico for misleading consumers about data privacy - CBS News (cbsnews.com) — https://www.cbsnews.com/
4. Meta ordered to pay New Mexico $25 billion for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook (thebusinessjournal.com) — https://www.thebusinessjournal.com/
5. Meta ordered to pay New Mexico $25bn in data privacy case | Meta | The Guardian (theguardian.com) — https://www.theguardian.com/
6. Meta Fined $25 Billion by New Mexican Court for Violating Privacy During Cambridge Analytica Scandal – EPIC – Electronic Privacy Information Center (epic.org) — https://epic.org/
7. 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