New Mexico wants Meta Platforms to pay between $35 billion and $40 billion over misleading statements about Facebook users’ data, and Meta says that would be unconstitutional, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
On Sept. 25, a jury found Meta violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act about 43 million times through 26 misleading statements about how Facebook handled personal information. Each violation can carry a penalty of up to $5,000, which in theory could add up to more than $200 billion.
Randi McGinn, an attorney representing the state, asked District Judge Francis Mathew on Oct. 1 to start from the maximum and reduce it to the $35 billion to $40 billion range, citing due process and limits on excessive fines. She told the court the penalty would deter Meta and other large companies from misleading New Mexicans, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
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Meta attorney Matthew Nicholson told the judge the request was far out of line with any proven harm and argued for a much smaller penalty based on a narrower count limited to actual Facebook users in the state, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.
The case stems from the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from millions of Facebook users was collected without consent and used for political ads. Mathew has not ruled, and appeals are expected.
What's Next
Judge Francis Mathew has not ruled on the penalty, and appeals are expected.
Why It Matters
The jury found about 43 million violations, each carrying up to $5,000, so the judge's ruling will decide how much Meta pays New Mexico.
About This Story
Daily Reports is Brant.One’s news roundup. Each day we gather the New Mexico stories worth knowing from newsrooms across the state, sum them up and point you to the source. This one comes from the Santa Fe New Mexican’s reporting, and their original story has the interviews and full details.
Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit the Santa Fe New Mexican’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.
