# Meta ordered to pay $25 billion over New Mexico lawsuit

> A judge ruled Meta misled users about data handling and failed to stop misinformation, ordering the largest penalty in the company's history.
- Title: Meta ordered to pay $25 billion over New Mexico lawsuit
- Summary: A judge ruled Meta misled users about data handling and failed to stop misinformation, ordering the largest penalty in the company's history. A New Mexico…
- Keywords: meta, facebook, new mexico, data privacy, cambridge analytica, penalty, mark zuckerberg, business, technology, ordered, pay, billion
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/meta-25-billion-penalty-cambridge-analytica-case-new-mexico-2026-10
- Author: Truman Dickerson
- Published: 2026-10-21T19:22:10.031+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: meta, facebook, new mexico, data privacy, cambridge analytica, penalty, mark zuckerberg, business, technology
## Judge orders Meta to pay $25 billion
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay twenty five billion dollars for misleading users about data handling and failing to prevent misinformation on Facebook.
## The case centered on Cambridge Analytica
The lawsuit focused on Meta's handling of user records that Cambridge Analytica used for campaign purposes during the two thousand sixteen election. New Mexico alleged Facebook misrepresented users' control over their data.
## Jury found nearly 50 million violations
A jury ruled against Meta last month, finding the company committed nearly fifty million violations of a New Mexico law prohibiting deceptive trade practices. Each violation carries a penalty of up to five thousand dollars.
## Meta says it will appeal the ruling
Meta's chief legal officer C.J. Mahoney said the penalty makes it impossible to do business in New Mexico and that the company is confident it will prevail on appeal.

> makes it all but impossible to do business in the state of New Mexico
## Key takeaway

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay twenty five billion dollars for misleading users about data control and failing to prevent misinformation on Facebook.