New Mexico is reportedly asking a court to order Meta to pay up to $40 billion in penalties related to alleged data privacy violations, according to multiple outlets. The request is linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the state’s claims about harms tied to how user data was handled.
Outlets describe that New Mexico’s legal arguments emphasize the scale of penalties needed to create deterrence. One account says the state’s attorney argues that the penalty amount must be large enough to meaningfully affect Meta, rather than a figure that would be treated as a cost of doing business.
While the reports focus on the same penalty figure and the same underlying privacy controversy, they vary slightly in how they frame the procedural posture. One outlet characterizes the issue as following a trial, while others present it as a broader request within litigation. The common thread across coverage is New Mexico’s effort to seek a maximum penalty at the high end—up to $40 billion—rather than a smaller settlement or fine.
