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Meta must pay New Mexico $25 billion, its biggest fine ever, for deceiving users about Facebook privacy

PBS NewsHour October 21, 2026 7 views
Meta must pay New Mexico $25 billion, its biggest fine ever, for deceiving users about Facebook privacy

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Meta has been fined $25 billion by the state of New Mexico, the largest penalty ever imposed on a technology company in the United States. The verdict, announced at a news conference, follows a lawsuit that alleged the social‑media giant deceived users about how their Facebook data was handled.

State Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the decision was intended to send a clear message that New Mexico will hold tech firms accountable for privacy violations. “The verdict should be seen as a warning for tech companies that New Mexico will hold them accountable,” he told reporters.

“The verdict should be seen as a warning for tech companies that New Mexico will hold them accountable,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez at a news conference.

New Mexico, a southwestern U.S. state, has used the fine to demonstrate its willingness to enforce privacy laws against large corporations. The $25 billion penalty is the biggest ever imposed by a state on a technology firm.

Meta has not yet issued a formal response to the fine. The case is expected to influence how other states approach privacy enforcement against big‑tech companies.

<small>Source: PBS NewsHour — read the original story there.</small>

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