Full Breakdown
New Mexico Jury Finds Meta Misled Users About Facebook Data Practices
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
A Santa Fe jury concluded that Meta Platforms’ Facebook misled New Mexico residents about how their personal information was shared with third parties. The verdict, announced on September 25 2026, found the company liable for deceptive statements concerning a data breach that involved a third-party personality quiz harvesting data from roughly 87 million profiles and selling it to Cambridge Analytica.
Background & Context
The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in 2021, stemmed from revelations that Cambridge Analytica accessed millions of Facebook users’ data without consent to target political advertising. The case follows a prior New Mexico trial in which a jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading statements about teen safety and later $567 million into a state fund for teen mental-health programs. New Mexico opted out of the 2024 settlement with 47 states and pursued its own privacy case.
Data & Statistics
- Approximately 87 million Facebook profiles were harvested by the quiz.
- Jurors found over 43 million violations of New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act.
- The state’s population exceeds 2 million; prosecutors estimate 1.3 million users were affected at the time of the breach.
- Attorney General Torrez estimates about 350,000 residents were directly exposed to the Cambridge Analytica breach.
Criticism & Opposition
- Peter Ormerod, associate professor of law at Villanova University, warned that even if maximum penalties are imposed, “it’s unlikely that this is going to be the case that effectively penalizes the company in a meaningful way.” He added that “there’s been a lot of criticism that none of these amounts of money are enough to discipline the company.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The number of violations differs between sources: AP cites “over 43 million” violations, while CBS reports “over 2 million.” Both figures are attributed to the jury’s findings, but the discrepancy remains unresolved.
- The precise financial exposure for Meta depends on whether the judge applies the $5,000 maximum per violation; estimates range from hundreds of billions to potentially over $200 billion, but the final amount is pending.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We disagree with the verdict and will continue to defend ourselves against efforts to distort our record,” — Alex Burgos, Meta spokesperson
- “We became the product for Facebook. They turned our dreams into data they could sell to advertisers,” — Randi McGinn, attorney for the state
What’s Next
The judge will hold a hearing in early October to determine civil penalties. The state also seeks an injunction to stop similar data-sharing practices. Meta’s appeals and potential liability could shape future regulatory actions and settlement negotiations with other states.