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# Judge orders Meta to pay US$25 billion over data lies
- URL: https://www.bushletter.com/judge-orders-meta-to-pay-us-25-billion-over-data-lies/
- Published: 2026-10-22T03:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-22T03:00:00.000Z
- Description: Meta plans to appeal, and interest will accrue during a legal challenge that could delay payment for years.
- Author: Bushletter Newsroom
- Tags: Technology, World

TLDR

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay US$25 billion after a jury found Facebook broke state consumer law 43,899,725 times by misleading users about their data. Meta says it will appeal. In Australia, Meta settled the privacy commissioner's Cambridge Analytica case in 2024 with a A$50 million payment program.

## Judge imposes record US$25 billion penalty

New Mexico District Court Judge Francis J. Mathew ordered Meta to pay US$25 billion in civil penalties on 21 October 2026.[\[1\]](https://nmdoj.gov/wp-content/uploads/Facebook-Judgement.pdf?ref=bushletter.com) A jury found in September that Facebook had violated the state's Unfair Practices Act 43,899,725 times.[\[2\]](https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/the-new-mexico-department-of-justice-secures-another-landmark-victory-against-big-tech-with-historic-25-billion-penalty-against-facebook/?ref=bushletter.com)

The case grew out of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The jury found Facebook misled users about how it handled their personal data.[\[2\]](https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/the-new-mexico-department-of-justice-secures-another-landmark-victory-against-big-tech-with-historic-25-billion-penalty-against-facebook/?ref=bushletter.com)

## Judge finds the deception was intentional

Judge Mathew wrote that Facebook's deception was intentional and that executives consistently misled users about how the platform worked.[\[3\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com) "Facebook promised users that they \[the users\] controlled their data. This was false," he wrote.[\[3\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com)

Meta had argued it should pay no more than US$3.4 billion.[\[3\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com)

Attorney-General Raúl Torrez said the award is a warning to tech companies that New Mexico will hold them accountable.[\[3\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com) "This is a historic day for New Mexico and for consumers across the country," he said.[\[2\]](https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/the-new-mexico-department-of-justice-secures-another-landmark-victory-against-big-tech-with-historic-25-billion-penalty-against-facebook/?ref=bushletter.com)

## Meta to appeal

"At its core, this lawsuit seeks to impose a tax on speech to enforce new rules for what people can say online. We are confident we will prevail on appeal," Meta chief legal officer CJ Mahoney said.[\[3\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com)

Interest will accrue on the penalty during the appeal. It could take years before the state sees any of the money.[\[3\]](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com)

## Australia settled its own case

Australia's privacy regulator pursued Meta over the same scandal. In December 2024, Meta agreed to a A$50 million payment program for affected Australian users, and the Australian Information Commissioner withdrew civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court.[\[4\]](https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/landmark-settlement-of-$50m-from-meta-for-australian-users-impacted-by-cambridge-analytica-incident?ref=bushletter.com)

Since late 2022, the maximum penalty for serious or repeated privacy breaches in Australia has been the greater of A$50 million, three times the benefit obtained, or 30 per cent of a company's adjusted turnover.[\[5\]](https://www.oaic.gov.au/about-the-OAIC/our-regulatory-approach/guide-to-privacy-regulatory-action/chapter-7-privacy-assessments?ref=bushletter.com)

KEY TAKEAWAYS

01Judge Francis J. Mathew ordered Meta to pay US$25 billion in civil penalties on 21 October 2026.

02A September jury found 43,899,725 violations of New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act.

03The judge wrote that Facebook's deception was intentional.

04Meta said it is confident it will win on appeal.

05Meta settled Australia's Cambridge Analytica privacy case in 2024 with a A$50 million payment program.

SOURCES & CITATIONS

1. [Facebook penalty judgment, New Mexico District Court](https://nmdoj.gov/wp-content/uploads/Facebook-Judgement.pdf?ref=bushletter.com)
2. [New Mexico Department of Justice: historic US$25 billion penalty against Facebook](https://nmdoj.gov/press-release/the-new-mexico-department-of-justice-secures-another-landmark-victory-against-big-tech-with-historic-25-billion-penalty-against-facebook/?ref=bushletter.com)
3. [Meta ordered to pay New Mexico US$25 billion for deceiving users about privacy on Facebook, ABC News](https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/meta-ordered-to-pay-new-mexico-us25-billion/107294964?ref=bushletter.com)
4. [Landmark settlement of $50m from Meta for Australian users impacted by Cambridge Analytica incident, OAIC](https://www.oaic.gov.au/news/media-centre/landmark-settlement-of-$50m-from-meta-for-australian-users-impacted-by-cambridge-analytica-incident?ref=bushletter.com)
5. [Guide to privacy regulatory action, OAIC](https://www.oaic.gov.au/about-the-OAIC/our-regulatory-approach/guide-to-privacy-regulatory-action/chapter-7-privacy-assessments?ref=bushletter.com)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What did the New Mexico court find?

A September 2026 jury found Facebook violated New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act 43,899,725 times by misleading users about how it handled their personal data. Judge Francis J. Mathew wrote that the deception was intentional.

Will Meta pay the US$25 billion?

Not soon. Meta said it is confident it will prevail on appeal, and it could take years before New Mexico sees any money.

Does this affect Australian Facebook users?

Not directly. Australian users affected by Cambridge Analytica were covered by a separate A$50 million payment program that Meta agreed with the Australian Information Commissioner in December 2024.