US jury finds Meta liable for deceptive practices over user data claims

A jury in the US state of New Mexico has found Meta liable for deceptive practices related to claims over user data, tallying roughly 2.1 million consumer protection violations connected to the long-running Cambridge Analytica privacy controversy. The verdict marks a significant legal setback for the company over its historical handling of user information.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which first drew widespread public attention years ago, centered on allegations that user data harvested from the platform was improperly used for political profiling and targeting without adequate consent. The New Mexico case revisited those issues within the state's consumer protection framework.

Scale of the ruling

The scale of the violations tallied by the jury, in the millions, reflects the breadth of users in New Mexico whose data was implicated in the case. Consumer protection verdicts of this size can carry substantial financial and reputational consequences for the companies involved, depending on how penalties are ultimately calculated and applied.

Meta has faced numerous legal and regulatory challenges over its data practices in various jurisdictions since the Cambridge Analytica controversy first emerged. This latest verdict adds to that broader legal history, though the company's response to the ruling, including any plans to appeal, was not detailed in initial reporting.

Further proceedings are expected to determine the specific penalties or remedies tied to the jury's findings, with the case likely to be watched closely by regulators and other states considering similar consumer protection claims.