A jury determined that Meta Platforms Inc. misled Facebook users regarding data access, prompting a New Mexico state district judge to impose a $25bn penalty. Judge Francis Mathew issued the ruling on Wednesday, marking the largest monetary sanction ever levied against the company. The verdict stemmed from findings that Meta made false statements about user control over personal information and about handling harmful content on its platforms. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez emphasized the decision as a warning to major tech firms, stating it represents one of the most significant state-level judgments against a corporation in U.S. history. All funds awarded will be allocated to the state’s education system. The penalty surpasses the $5bn fine imposed by the Federal Trade Commission in 2019. Meta has announced its intention to appeal the decision, with company legal counsel CJ Mahoney arguing that the ruling effectively imposes a tax on speech and undermines business operations in New Mexico. The case originated from a 2021 lawsuit tied to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, which involved unauthorized access to personal data of up to 87 million users for political advertising purposes. This ruling follows a prior legal defeat in New Mexico from March, where Meta was ordered to pay $375m in civil penalties related to youth safety concerns on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and subsequently faced additional obligations totaling $567m for teen mental health initiatives and platform safeguards.