New Mexico jury finds Facebook liable of deceiving users about privacy protections, tell me about this news in (https://www.denverpost.com/2026/09/25/facebook-new-mexico-lawsuit/)
25-09-2026
A New Mexico state jury in Santa Fe found Facebook (Meta Platforms) liable for deceiving users regarding its privacy protections and handling of user data.
Key details from the reporting on the verdict include:
The case stemmed from a lawsuit brought by New Mexico regarding deceptive practices linked back to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which personal data from tens of millions of profiles was harvested via third-party personality quizzes and used to build voter profiles.
State prosecutors argued that Meta misled consumers through public statements, blog posts, and executive remarks, leading users to believe they maintained full control over their personal data and privacy settings when the company failed to prevent widespread third-party data harvesting.
The jury sided with the state, determining that Facebook’s failure to adequately protect privacy and its misleading statements impacted residents across New Mexico, finding the company liable for over two million violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act.
Unlike dozens of other states that settled their privacy and safety claims against Meta in a multistate deal earlier in the year, New Mexico opted out of the Cambridge Analytica liability release and pushed the matter to trial on its own.
Following the liability finding, the monetary penalty is left to the presiding judge to determine. The state asked for maximum statutory penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, which could expose Meta to substantial civil penalties.