Facebook found liable in Cambridge Analytica case
Original: Jury finds Facebook liable for deceiving users in Cambridge Analytica case
Why This Matters
The verdict tests whether states can hold Meta financially accountable where federal regulators have not.
A New Mexico jury on September 25, 2026 found Facebook liable for deceiving users over the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, in which a third-party quiz harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles. The state seeks up to $5,000 per violation, with jurors finding over 2 million violations affecting New Mexico's entire population of 2+ million.
After a two-week trial in Santa Fe, a New Mexico jury ruled that Facebook deceived users about privacy protections tied to the Cambridge Analytica breach. A third-party personality quiz harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles; that data was sold to political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, which used it for targeted advertising—including for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Jurors found Facebook liable for over 2 million violations and ruled that the breach impacted New Mexico's entire population. The judge will now determine damages, with attorneys seeking the maximum $5,000 per violation. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called it 'a historic verdict, not just for New Mexico, but for every state fighting to hold Big Tech accountable.' Meta said it disagreed with the verdict and will continue to fight what it called efforts to 'distort our records,' also invoking First Amendment rights in its defense. New Mexico is the only state still pursuing the Cambridge Analytica case—all others were released from future liability under Meta's August $18 billion multistate child safety settlement. Florida declined to join that settlement but did not separately pursue the Cambridge Analytica angle. New Mexico also won $942 million in judgments against Meta this year over minor safety protections.