Meta ordered to pay $25bn by judge over user data privacy lies
A federal judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $25bn after a trial found it intentionally misled the public about how it handled Facebook user data. Judge Francis Mathew reduced a calculated $219bn penalty, calling the case central to Meta's core business practices. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A federal judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $25bn (£18.6bn) following a two-week trial earlier this year. The court found that the company, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, had for years intentionally lied to the public about how it handled and controlled Facebook user data. The penalty is the largest Meta has faced to date.
In his order, Judge Francis Mathew wrote that communications between senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg, were intended to deceive the public. He also said the lies went beyond Facebook's data practices and reached the heart of Meta's core business operations. The findings were based on thousands of violations of state law.
The full penalty had been calculated at $219bn because of the scale of the violations, but Judge Mathew reduced it to $25bn. The fine adds to other legal costs for Meta this year, including an $18bn deal with California and several other fines or settlements.
A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to BBC News. The ruling is the latest in a series of lawsuits over the company's privacy practices and business conduct.
TopicsMeta · Facebook · Instagram · WhatsApp · Mark Zuckerberg · Francis Mathew · California · New Mexico
Written by Paparazzi with AI. Not financial advice.