New Mexico jury finds Meta misled residents in privacy case

A New Mexico jury on 25 September 2026 found Meta liable for misleading residents about data privacy and how it handles misinformation, in a Santa Fe trial over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The jury found the company violated the state's Unfair Practices Act. The judge will now determine how much Meta will be fined.theverge.com+1

The verdict matters because it is the first time a jury has held Meta accountable over Cambridge Analytica since the company settled with most other states. New Mexico and Florida declined to join a broader settlement, which allowed this trial to proceed. The case shows Meta still faces legal consequences years after the scandal first emerged.cbsnews.com+1

What the jury decided

The two-week trial in Santa Fe centered on accusations that Facebook deceived users about privacy protections stemming from a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles. The data was sold to Cambridge Analytica, a now-defunct political consulting firm whose clients included the 2016 campaign for Donald Trump, to generate targeted ads.

Jurors found Facebook's failure to protect users' data impacted New Mexico's entire population of more than 2 million people. They also found the company misled the public about investigations into data brokers after the scandal, finding Meta liable for over 2 million violations. The state's attorneys asked for the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation.

The case stems from a 2021 lawsuit brought by New Mexico's attorney general at the time. The state claimed Meta misrepresented what it let third-party apps do with user data, maintained unclear or vague privacy settings, and falsely said it applied hate speech policies equally. Meta's lawyers admitted the company had made mistakes with misinformation and privacy but denied it sold users' data.

How the case reached trial

During closing arguments, lawyers for Facebook argued the state's evidence was outdated and that, despite having five years to gather material, New Mexico failed to find more than one other instance of a data breach. A Meta spokesperson said the company disagreed with the verdict and would continue to defend against efforts to distort its records.

What penalties may follow

Meta agreed in August to pay up to $18 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit over child safety issues. A provision in the 130-page settlement released Meta from future liability related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, making New Mexico the only state to pursue such a case. Florida was the only other state that did not sign.

The company has reached multiple settlements over Cambridge Analytica in the US, UK and Australia. It settled with 47 US states over child safety concerns in an $18 billion deal that included a $459 million payment to resolve existing Cambridge Analytica lawsuits. New Mexico and Florida declined that part of the settlement, which allowed this trial to happen.

Also this year, New Mexico won judgments totaling $942 million from Meta in a separate two-phase trial about the company's safety protections for minors. The court also ordered Meta to implement new safeguards, including age-verification technology and time limits on its platforms. These rulings add to the financial and operational pressure on the company.

Judge Francis Mathew will decide the size of the fine in the privacy case. The state's attorneys asked for the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation, and the jury found more than 2 million violations. The New Mexico Attorney General's office planned a press conference at 2 p.m. local time on 25 September to discuss the case.