Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion Fine in New Mexico Over Facebook Privacy Violations

A judge in the US state of New Mexico has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to pay a $25 billion fine (approximately Tk 3.09 trillion) over violations involving Facebook users' personal data.

The ruling relates to the unauthorised harvesting of personal information belonging to millions of Facebook users by Cambridge Analytica, a firm linked to political campaigning during the 2016 US presidential election, according to a report published by The Guardian.

In a ruling issued on Wednesday, Judge Francis Mathew said the violations reflected Meta's core business practices over a period of years.

Under state law, the potential fine could have exceeded $260 billion. However, the amount was reduced to $25 billion.

The money from the penalty will be allocated to improving New Mexico's public school system.

The jury found that Meta and its leadership had misled users and violated the state's consumer protection laws more than 43 million times.

The case centres on allegations that Facebook failed to adequately protect users' personal information and provide accurate information about how their data was collected and used.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal drew international attention after revelations that the company had obtained personal data from millions of Facebook users without their consent. The data was reportedly used to support political profiling and targeted campaigning during the 2016 US presidential election.

The New Mexico ruling marks a significant development in the continuing legal scrutiny of Meta's handling of user data and its responsibility to protect consumers online.