Judge orders Meta to pay $25 billion over Cambridge Analytica-linked violations

A New Mexico judge has directed Meta to pay $25 billion in penalties for more than 43 million violations of the state's unfair practices law. The penalty follows a September jury finding that the company misled consumers about how it protected their data and curbed misinformation and hate speech. The case grew out of a 2021 complaint filed after revelations that UK political consultancy Cambridge Analytica had harvested user data from millions of people. The ruling is the largest legal blow Meta has faced this year, coming amid several other losses and settlements.