The Cambridge Analytica scandal remains one of the defining examples of how carelessly social media giants once handled user data. In 2016, the UK-based data analytics firm harvested the personal information of roughly 87 million users without consent through a personality quiz app on Facebook. When it emerged that the data had been used in political campaigns — including Donald Trump's US presidential bid — the affair sparked a global debate that still shapes discussions about tech companies' data security responsibilities today.

At the trial in New Mexico, the focus was on Meta's handling of its obligation to protect user data. The jury found that the company had misled the public and violated the state's consumer protection statutes 43 million times. Under the presiding judge's calculation, penalties of $5,000 per violation could have pushed the total above $219 billion. The final figure was set at $25 billion (approx. 1.2 trillion TL).

hero-image.fill.size_1248x702.v1623370090

Meta Pushes Back Hard

The company has made clear it will appeal the verdict. In Meta's view, the lawsuit amounts to an attempt to impose new rules on what people can say online — and the penalty, the company argues, effectively functions as a tax on free expression.

The $25 Billion Is Headed to Schools

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez announced that every dollar of the penalty will go to the state's schools. That turns the sanction into more than just a financial hit for the company — it becomes a tangible funding stream for education.

According to Torrez, the sum is large enough to finance school construction in New Mexico for the next 100 years.