A New Mexico state district judge has ordered tech conglomerate Meta to pay a staggering $25bn following a jury's determination that the corporation misled Facebook users regarding data privacy protections. This unprecedented ruling represents the largest penalty ever levied against the tech giant amidst mounting regulatory scrutiny by the US regime.

State District Judge Francis Mathew stated that Facebook's assurances to users regarding the control of their personal data were entirely false. Last month, a jury found Meta responsible for more than 43 million violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws, a verdict that State Attorney General Raul Torrez hailed as a monumental milestone.

Torrez claimed during a press conference that the judgment serves as an unambiguous warning to Silicon Valley, announcing that all awarded funds would be funneled into the state's education system. Conversely, Meta's legal representatives argued that the jury failed to establish any direct harm suffered by state residents, denouncing the massive penalty as disproportionate.

CJ Mahoney, Meta’s chief legal officer, stated that the company remains confident in overturning the verdict on appeal, warning that the prosecution's aggressive enforcement approach effectively penalizes online speech and creates an untenable business environment in New Mexico. This legal setback compounds earlier judicial defeats faced by Meta in the state regarding youth online safety.

Source: www.aljazeera.com