A New Mexico jury on Friday found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections on the platform, in the latest legal setback against the social media giant. The Facebook privacy lawsuit New Mexico verdict found over 43 million violations of state consumer protection law, and it is now up to the judge to determine how much the company will pay — with attorneys representing the state asking for the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation, the Associated Press reported.
“The verdict marks a significant victory for New Mexico consumers and holds one of the world’s largest technology companies accountable for its conduct,” the New Mexico Department of Justice said in a statement.
What the jury found
The two-week trial in Santa Fe centered on accusations that Facebook, owned by Meta, deceived users about a data breach stemming from a third-party personality quiz, according to the AP. Jurors sided with prosecutors, finding Facebook made deceptive statements about protecting users’ data that affected New Mexico’s entire population of more than two million people. The jury also found Facebook misled the public about investigations into third-party app developers that harvest user data following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
With the jury’s liability finding complete, the judge will now decide the penalty. The state’s attorneys are seeking the maximum $5,000 per violation — which, across more than 43 million violations, would be an enormous sum, though the final figure is the judge’s call.
The Cambridge Analytica case at the center of it
The case revolves around the scandal that broke in 2018: a third-party personality quiz harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, to generate targeted ads, the AP reported. The now-defunct firm’s clients included the 2016 campaign for Donald Trump.
New Mexico’s case focused not only on the breach itself but on what prosecutors said were deceptive claims afterward — that Facebook misled users about how their data was protected and misled the public about its investigations into the third-party app developers that harvest user data. Jurors agreed on both counts.
Facebook’s defense and what happens next
“We disagree with the verdict and will continue to defend ourselves against efforts to distort our record,” said Alex Burgos, a spokesperson for Meta, in an email to the AP. During closing arguments, lawyers for Facebook claimed 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. The company also noted that free speech issues “featured very prominently” in the case, according to CBS News.
The New Mexico Attorney General’s office was expected to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. local time Friday to discuss the case, CBS/AP reported. Beyond the penalty decision, Meta is widely expected to appeal.
Why this verdict matters
The verdict is the latest in a long run of legal setbacks for the company that have already cost it billions of dollars, the AP noted. Notably, New Mexico is the only state to pursue a case over the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, according to Al Jazeera — an agreement buried within an earlier 130-page settlement had released Meta from future liability related to the scandal elsewhere. The verdict also follows an August settlement in which Meta agreed to pay $18 billion over a separate lawsuit involving child safety issues, Al Jazeera reported.
Whether the New Mexico case sets a template for other states remains an open question. What’s settled, at least for now, is that a jury found Facebook deceived the public about its privacy protections — and a judge will soon decide what that deception costs. The verdict, reached after a two-week trial in Santa Fe, lands at a moment when regulators and courts worldwide are taking a harder look at how platforms talk about the data they hold.
FAQ
How much could Facebook pay in the New Mexico case?
The jury found over 43 million violations of state consumer protection law, and the state’s attorneys are asking for the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation. The judge will decide the actual amount.
Is Facebook the same company as Meta?
Yes. Facebook is owned by Meta Platforms, Inc., and Meta is the defendant in the case.
What was the Cambridge Analytica scandal?
A third-party personality quiz harvested data from roughly 87 million Facebook profiles and sold it to the now-defunct political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to generate targeted ads. Its clients included the 2016 campaign for Donald Trump, per the AP.
Has Facebook faced penalties like this before?
Yes. The company has paid billions of dollars in fines and settlements over privacy and data practices, including an August settlement in which Meta agreed to pay $18 billion over a lawsuit involving child safety issues, according to Al Jazeera.
Sources:
- Associated Press via ETV Bharat, “New Mexico Jury Finds Facebook Liable For Deceiving Users About Privacy Protections” (Sept. 26, 2026) — https://www.etvbharat.com/en/international/new-mexico-jury-finds-facebook-liable-for-deceiving-users-about-privacy-protections-enn26092600664
- CBS News / AP, “Jury finds Facebook liable of deceiving users in Cambridge Analytica case” (Sept. 25, 2026) — https://stockwatchindex.com/jury-finds-facebook-liable-of-deceiving-users-in-cambridge-analytica-case-muhbshf9
- Al Jazeera, “Facebook found liable as TikTok settles for $100m over user safety” (Sept. 26, 2026) — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/26/facebook-found-liable-as-tiktok-settles-for-100m-over-user-safety
