New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $25bn over Facebook user data, its largest fine yet
21 October 2026
A judge in the US state of New Mexico, Francis Mathew, on 21 October 2026 ordered Meta to pay $25bn.
A jury had found that the company misled the public about how it handled Facebook user data.
It is the largest fine ever against Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
New Mexico's lawsuit stemmed from Facebook's role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The state had sought up to $40bn; Meta intends to appeal.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said no corporation is too powerful to be held accountable.
Fine:
$25bn
Amount sought by the state:
Up to $40bn
Judge:
Francis Mathew
Why it matters for exams: Big-tech regulation, data privacy cases and the Cambridge Analytica episode are frequent current-affairs questions.
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