In brief
Meta has been fined $25 billion by a New Mexico federal judge for repeatedly misleading users about its data handling practices. The judge ruled that the deception extended beyond Facebook to core business operations, and reduced the capped penalty from $219 billion to $25 billion. This verdict follows a string of fines this year, including an $18 billion settlement with California. The ruling highlights regulators’ tightening scrutiny of tech giants’ data privacy claims.
By Kali Hays, Technology reporter — 37 minutes ago
The social‑media giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has been hit with its biggest regulatory penalty yet. A federal judge in New Mexico ordered the company to pay $25 billion after a trial found it systematically lied to users about how it handled their data.
Judge Francis Mathew said the deception “extends beyond Facebook’s data practices” and critiqued senior executives’ communications for misleading the public. Although the original penalty was capped at $219 billion, the judge capped it at $25 billion to reflect the scope and nature of the violations.
This judgment follows a string of fines against Meta this year, including an $18 billion settlement with California and multiple smaller court orders. The company has yet to comment on the decision.
The ruling underscores a growing regulatory push to hold tech giants accountable for privacy misrepresentation—a warning that could reshape how platforms disclose data use to users.
