US jury finds Meta misled users over Cambridge Analytica

A Santa Fe jury in New Mexico concluded on September 25, 2026, that Meta Platforms misled state residents regarding privacy and data sharing. The verdict follows a two-week trial in a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Attorney General in 2021. The case stems from revelations that personal data belonging to up to 87 million Facebook users was gathered via a third-party app and used by political consultancy Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 US presidential campaign.

State lawyers argued that Meta deceived consumers about how their personal information was shared, how it handled hate speech and misinformation, and whether certain users received preferential policy enforcement. The state focused on public statements, including remarks by CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company blog posts. Judge Francis Mathew will determine the total penalty amount Meta must pay for the violations.

Meta defended its record during the trial, arguing that the cited statements were taken out of context and ignoring instances where the company admitted its privacy and content moderation were imperfect. The company denied selling user data and maintained that it does not profit from harmful content.

This marks the second verdict against Meta in Santa Fe in six months. In March, a jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties over child safety on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, followed by a judge ordering $567 million for an adolescent mental health fund. While Meta later reached a broader settlement of up to about $16.7 billion with 47 US states and territories, which included $459 million for Cambridge Analytica claims, New Mexico opted out to pursue its trial.