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Meta Platforms has faced a new legal setback after a New Mexico jury found that Facebook misled state residents about its handling of user data and privacy protections.
The verdict came after a two-week trial in Santa Fe involving allegations connected to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, in which personal information from millions of Facebook profiles was obtained through a third-party application and used by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.
The case was brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in 2021, following revelations about the collection and use of Facebook users’ personal information.
The jury found that Facebook violated New Mexico's consumer protection law through its practices concerning user data. Local reporting said the jury identified more than 43 million violations of the state's Unfair Practices Act. The judge will determine the final financial penalty. State attorneys have asked the court to impose the maximum statutory penalty of $5,000 per violation, although the final amount will be decided by the judge.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal emerged after reports that a third-party personality quiz application had collected information associated with as many as 87 million Facebook users. The data was subsequently obtained by Cambridge Analytica and used for voter profiling and targeted political advertising, according to reporting on the case.
New Mexico's lawsuit alleged that Facebook had misrepresented how users' information was protected and how the company enforced its data policies.
The company said it disagrees with the verdict and intends to continue defending itself against claims concerning its handling of the platform and user information. Meta has also maintained that protecting users' information and giving people control over their data are among its priorities.
For social media platforms with billions of users, questions around what information is collected,how it is shared, and whether users are adequately informed have become central to privacy regulation and consumer-protection cases.
The verdict came after a two-week trial in Santa Fe involving allegations connected to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, in which personal information from millions of Facebook profiles was obtained through a third-party application and used by the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica.
The case was brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in 2021, following revelations about the collection and use of Facebook users’ personal information.
The jury found that Facebook violated New Mexico's consumer protection law through its practices concerning user data. Local reporting said the jury identified more than 43 million violations of the state's Unfair Practices Act. The judge will determine the final financial penalty. State attorneys have asked the court to impose the maximum statutory penalty of $5,000 per violation, although the final amount will be decided by the judge.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal emerged after reports that a third-party personality quiz application had collected information associated with as many as 87 million Facebook users. The data was subsequently obtained by Cambridge Analytica and used for voter profiling and targeted political advertising, according to reporting on the case.
New Mexico's lawsuit alleged that Facebook had misrepresented how users' information was protected and how the company enforced its data policies.
The company said it disagrees with the verdict and intends to continue defending itself against claims concerning its handling of the platform and user information. Meta has also maintained that protecting users' information and giving people control over their data are among its priorities.
For social media platforms with billions of users, questions around what information is collected,how it is shared, and whether users are adequately informed have become central to privacy regulation and consumer-protection cases.
