A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to pay $25 billion in penalties following a legal battle concerning data privacy practices. The ruling follows a September jury verdict that determined Meta misled consumers about how it handled user data and managed content, including misinformation and hate speech, on its platforms. The case is rooted in the fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which first gained public attention nearly a decade ago.

While most states opted to settle their claims against the tech giant as part of a broader nationwide legal effort, New Mexico proceeded to trial. The $25 billion penalty represents the outcome of this specific state-level litigation. According to The Verge, the penalty is tied to more than 43 million individual violations of New Mexico’s unfair practices law. Axios and the Washington Examiner frame the ruling as a significant financial consequence for Big Tech, highlighting that the company is being held accountable for actions that sparked widespread political controversy years ago. Meta has not yet provided a detailed response to the ruling, though the company continues to face various legal challenges and regulatory scrutiny regarding its historical data practices.