GoKawiilNew Mexico jury finds Meta made 43 million misleading statements on privacy
A jury in New Mexico ruled that Meta violated the state's Unfair Practices Act, finding 26 of 29 examined statements about user data protections were misleading, amounting to more than 43 million violations based on affected users. The case, brought by the state attorney general in 2021, also concerned Meta's response to the 2013 Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from tens of millions of Facebook users was harvested via a personality-quiz app and used for targeted political ads in 2016.
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A judge will now decide civil penalties, and since the law allows up to $5,000 per violation, the total could theoretically reach billions of dollars, though the final figure is far from certain. Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the verdict shows the company 'plays fast and loose with the rules,' suggesting state officials may see this as a template for future privacy enforcement against large tech firms. The outcome could also embolden other states to pursue similar consumer-protection claims over data handling.
- Jury found 26 of 29 Meta statements about privacy misleading, totaling over 43 million violations.
- A judge will determine penalties, which could reach into the billions under state law.
- Case centered partly on Meta's honesty about its Cambridge Analytica investigation and response.
Source: tech.slashdot.org — Posted, 2026-09-26
Published there as: “Meta Made 43M Misleading Statements, New Mexico Jury Finds, Including on Its Cambridge Analytica Response”
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