Meta Platforms has been ordered to pay $25 billion in penalties in New Mexico after a jury found that the company misled Facebook users about data privacy, harmful content and its internal policies. The case is linked to concerns over the misuse of personal information during the 2016 US presidential election campaign.

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New Mexico's attorney general filed the lawsuit in 2021 following revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a British political consulting firm associated with Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, had obtained personal data from as many as 87 million Facebook users through a third-party application.

The state accused Meta of misleading consumers about who could access their information and how the company handled hate speech and misinformation. Prosecutors also argued that the platform tolerated harmful content when it benefited its business interests.

On September 25, a jury found that 26 of 29 statements made by Meta and its leadership were misleading. Jurors identified more than 43 million violations of New Mexico's consumer protection laws, with penalties calculated according to the number of people exposed to each statement.

State law permits penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, with the proceeds directed towards New Mexico's public school system. The state's legal team had sought between $35 billion and $40 billion, while Meta argued that the penalty should be limited to $3.45 billion.

The case follows another setback for Meta in New Mexico. In March, a jury ordered the company to pay $375 million over allegations concerning the safety of young users on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. A subsequent court ruling directed Meta to contribute another $567 million to a state fund for teen mental health and implement additional safety measures.

The legal challenges have intensified scrutiny of Meta's responsibility for protecting users' personal information and preventing harm across its social media platforms.