ALBUQUERQUE, September 27 — A New Mexico jury has found Facebook liable for more than 43 million violations of the state’s consumer protection law, a verdict that could expose the platform’s parent company, Meta Platforms, to more than $200 billion in civil penalties. The case was brought by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office under the state’s Unfair Practices Act, which prohibits deceptive and unfair trade practices.
The lawsuit alleged that Facebook misled users about its privacy practices, including how it handled their personal data and the extent to which third parties could access that information.
The Arithmetic Behind the Exposure
The jury’s finding of liability on over 43 million counts corresponds to the number of affected users in New Mexico, according to the state’s case. Under the Unfair Practices Act, each violation can carry a civil penalty of up to $5,000. Multiplying that maximum by the 43 million violations yields a potential penalty of more than $200 billion, though the actual amount will be determined by the court in a subsequent phase of the proceedings.
Meta has signaled it will challenge the verdict, arguing that its disclosures were adequate and that the penalties sought are excessive. The verdict is one of the largest consumer protection findings against a technology company in U.S. history.
It adds to a growing list of legal and regulatory challenges facing Meta, which also faces antitrust lawsuits from the Federal Trade Commission and multiple state attorneys general, as well as privacy investigations.
A State-Level Front Opens Wider
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, whose office filed the suit, called the verdict a victory for consumers. The case is expected to proceed to a remedies phase, where the court will decide the final penalty amount. The New Mexico case is one of several state-level actions against Meta; similar lawsuits have been filed by other states, including a 2023 lawsuit by 33 states alleging that Meta’s platforms harm young users.
The verdict underscores the increasing scrutiny of Big Tech’s data practices and the potential for massive financial penalties under state consumer protection laws. What comes next is the remedies phase, and the penalty figure the court settles on will determine whether this verdict remains a state-level warning or becomes a template other attorneys general can replicate.
Meta’s challenge to the finding, and the company’s parallel exposure in the antitrust and privacy matters, will shape how aggressively the states press their own cases.
