‘Facebook’s wrongdoing’: Why has Meta been fined $25bn in New Mexico?
A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion to the state after a court found the company intentionally misled consumers about data privacy. The lawsuit, filed in 2021, stemmed from revelations that Cambridge Analytica harvested data from millions of Facebook users through a third-party app.
The story so far
- Oct 21
- Oct 22
How outlets cover it
4 outletsNot rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Open questions and key claims
The lies extended to the heart of Facebook's core business practices.
Meta intends to appeal the ruling, believing the appeal will be successful.
Indyke and Kahn deny complicity in or knowledge of Epstein's sexual abuse or trafficking.
Indyke received over $16m from Epstein and related entities from 2011-2019; Kahn received over $10m.
The $25bn judgement should be an unambiguous message to Silicon Valley.
Epstein's estate is estimated at roughly $635m (£474m) at the time of his death.
The judge found a penalty of over $219bn warranted based on state law, but reduced it to $25bn.
Meta's chief legal officer stated the ruling makes it 'all but impossible to do business in the state of New Mexico'.
Who and where
Related stories over time
same people and places- Mar 9 – Mar 10 earlierUS investigators search Epstein’s New Mexico ranch amid allegations of buried bodies4 articles · 4 outlets
- Mar 20 – Mar 25 earlier
- Aug 1 – Aug 5 earlierNew Mexico sues US Justice Department for impeding Epstein probe5 articles · 3 outlets
- Oct 21 – Oct 22◆ This story