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Business & Finance · October 21, 2026

Meta ordered to pay $25B to New Mexico in Cambridge Analytica scandal over user data in 2016 election

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A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion after a jury found the company liable for misleading users about data privacy and content moderation during the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The lawsuit, initiated in 2021 by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleged that Meta misrepresented its data-handling practices during the 2016 election period. While the penalty is one of the largest state-level verdicts in U.S. history, Meta has indicated it plans to appeal the decision. Under New Mexico law, the funds are designated for state education spending.

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Reported by multiple outlets

  • Judge Francis Mathew ordered Meta to pay $25 billion.
  • A jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about privacy and content policies.
  • The case originated from the 2016 Cambridge Analytica data harvesting scandal.
  • New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez brought the lawsuit in 2021.

Reported by only some outlets

  • Judge Mathew initially calculated that state law warranted a penalty of over $219 billion before reducing it to $25 billion.
  • The penalty is based on approximately 43 million violations of state consumer protection law, valued at $5,000 each.
  • Meta shares traded 2% higher following the penalty announcement.
  • Fines collected from this judgment are constitutionally mandated to go toward New Mexico education spending.

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