US judge orders Meta to pay New Mexico $25bn over 'lies' about Facebook data after cutting a $219bn penalty
Mark Zuckerberg, whose communications with senior Meta executives a judge ruled were "designed to mislead the public" over user data, as the company is ordered to pay $25bn to New Mexico's schools.
Judge Francis Mathew ruled that internal communications involving top executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, were 'designed to mislead the public'. In September, a Santa Fe jury found that Meta had broken state consumer protection laws on 43 million separate occasions, with each violation carrying a potential penalty of up to $5,000. Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the award could fund schools 'for the next 100 years', though Meta is expected to appeal.
The lawsuit originated from Cambridge Analytica's harvesting of Facebook data for use in 2016 election advertising.
Meta argued its liability should be capped at $3.4bn, while the state sought between $35bn and $40bn.
Meta's shares were trading 2% higher after the penalty was announced.
