New Mexico jury finds Meta misled residents on data privacy

A jury in New Mexico has determined that Meta violated the state's Unfair Practices Act, finding the company misled residents about how it protects their privacy and handles misinformation, according to Reuters.

The trial stemmed from a lawsuit the state filed in 2021 over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data harvested from Facebook was used to target political advertising during the 2016 US election. The original complaint alleged Meta misrepresented what third-party apps were permitted to do with user data, kept privacy settings unclear or vague, and falsely claimed its hate speech policies were applied equally to all users.

Company admits past mistakes, denies data sales

During the trial, Meta's lawyers acknowledged the company had made mistakes in how it handled misinformation and privacy in the past, but denied selling user data or profiting from hate speech on its platforms. A judge has not yet decided how large a fine Meta will face, and Meta has not yet responded to a request for comment on the ruling.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from roughly 50 million Facebook users was harvested largely without consent, remains one of several controversies tied to the company — one it partly distanced itself from by rebranding as Meta in 2021. The company has already reached settlements over the scandal in the US, UK and Australia, including a recent $18 billion settlement with 47 US states over child safety concerns that contained a $459 million payment specifically to resolve existing Cambridge Analytica lawsuits. New Mexico and Florida opted out of that part of the settlement, paving the way for this trial and the jury's latest verdict against Meta.