Meta must pay New Mexico $25 billion, its biggest fine ever, for deceiving users about Facebook privacy
New Mexico has secured a $25 billion judgment against Meta, the largest fine the company has ever faced, stemming from allegations that it misled users about how Facebook handles their personal data.
Why this matters: Twenty-five billion dollars is a number large enough to actually get Meta's attention. Most privacy fines so far have been small enough to treat as a cost of doing business. If this judgment holds, it changes that math. New Mexico is making a direct claim: Meta told users one thing about their privacy and did another. That is a straightforward deception argument, and it puts the accountability exactly where it belongs — on the company that made the promises and broke them.
Who should care: Lawyers · Privacy officers · Compliance · General readers · Policy
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