On September 25, 2026, a jury in Santa Fe found Facebook liable for misleading users about privacy protections and data practices in a New Mexico consumer-protection case. The jury counted more than 43 million violations, and the state sought the maximum civil penalty of $5,000 per violation.
What the New Mexico jury decided
The verdict found Facebook liable in a case brought by New Mexico under the state’s consumer-protection law. The state’s claims concerned Facebook’s statements and practices around privacy, data protection and third-party apps.
The judge still had to determine any penalty. New Mexico asked for the maximum civil amount described in the case: $5,000 for each violation. The verdict did not set the total Facebook would have to pay.
How Cambridge Analytica data figured in the case
The trial’s historical backdrop was a third-party personality quiz that reportedly collected information from about 87 million Facebook profiles and transferred it to Cambridge Analytica for targeted advertising. The New Mexico case concerned Facebook’s statements and practices around data protection and third-party apps in connection with that scandal.
Meta disputed the verdict
Meta disputed the jury’s decision and said it would continue to defend itself. The jury also found deceptive statements concerning investigations into third-party apps. Separately, it did not find that New Mexico had proved its claims about Facebook’s statements on harmful-content removal and fact-checking.
