Meta misled users about Facebook data practices, New Mexico jury finds
META•A New Mexico jury found Meta misled residents about Facebook data practices, hate speech and misinformation, identifying 26 misleading statements and more than 43 million violations. A judge will determine civil penalties, which could reach $5,000 per violation; the state plans to seek the maximum and request company changes.
1. Jury finds misleading statements
A Santa Fe jury found Meta misled New Mexico residents in a case over the company’s data practices and policies on hate speech and misinformation. Jurors found 26 of 29 statements identified by the state were misleading, while rejecting claims concerning Meta’s efforts to remove harmful content and its fact-checking practices.
2. Penalties and requested changes
Judge Francis Mathew will determine civil penalties after jurors found more than 43 million violations. New Mexico law allows up to $5,000 per violation, and Attorney General Raúl Torrez said his office will seek the maximum and ask the judge to order changes, which could include corrections and an audit of Meta’s management of user data. Meta said it disagreed with the verdict and would continue to defend itself.
3. Case background
The lawsuit, filed in 2021, arose from allegations that Cambridge Analytica obtained data from millions of Facebook users without their consent. New Mexico was not part of a settlement involving 47 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories over claims that Facebook and Instagram were designed to addict young children; the state’s Cambridge Analytica case proceeded to trial.
