Meta ordered to pay 25 billion dollars over data privacy deception

A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to pay 25 billion dollars (£18.6bn) in what is reported to be the largest fine the company has ever faced for its business practices.

The ruling followed a two-week trial held earlier this year, which concluded that Meta had spent years misleading the public about how it managed Facebook user data. The judge stated that the company's deception went beyond data handling alone, touching on the core of Facebook's business operations.

Meta's chief lawyer, CJ Mahoney, said the decision would make it nearly impossible for the company to continue operating in New Mexico. Meta has said it plans to appeal the ruling and expects to succeed.

This is the latest in a string of financial penalties and settlements Meta has faced this year, including an 18 billion dollar settlement with California over child safety concerns.

The New Mexico lawsuit originated from Meta's involvement, while still operating as Facebook, in the Cambridge Analytica scandal. That firm had accessed data from millions of Facebook users as part of political consulting work, including activity connected to the 2016 US presidential election, which resulted in Donald Trump's first election victory.