New Mexico is a southwestern U.S. state with its capital at Santa Fe. Its relevance to this record is as the venue for two state consumer protection cases against Meta Platforms, both tried before juries in Santa Fe in 2026.

Consumer protection cases against Meta

Child safety (filed 2023). Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 after his office ran undercover accounts posing as Facebook and Instagram users under 14, which received sexually explicit material and contact from adults. In March 2026 a jury found that Meta had violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act through false or misleading statements and unconscionable trade practices, and ordered the maximum $375 million in civil penalties for 75,000 violations. Meta said it would appeal. In a second phase heard by a judge, the Santa Fe County District Court ruled in August 2026 that Meta’s conduct was a public nuisance and ordered it to pay $567 million into a fund for youth mental health treatment and prevention.

Privacy (filed 2021). A separate suit, filed in 2021, alleged that Facebook misled users about how their data was protected after a personality-quiz app collected profile data that Cambridge Analytica later used. On 25 September 2026 a Santa Fe jury found more than 43 million violations of the Unfair Practices Act. The civil penalty was left to Judge Francis Mathew, who heard arguments on it on 1 October 2026.

Other connections

Gary Johnson, later the Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee in 2012 and 2016, served as governor of New Mexico.

Sources

  1. 01.

    Al Jazeera (AFP, Reuters and The Associated Press). US jury orders Meta to pay $375m for endangering children. (2026). Published 25 March 2026. Source for the jury ordering Meta to pay $375 million for violating the Unfair Practices Act through 'false or misleading statements' and 'unconscionable' trade practices, Attorney General Raúl Torrez filing the suit in 2023, the undercover accounts posing as users under 14, and Meta's statement that it would appeal.

    www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/3/25/us-jury-orders-meta-to-pay-375m-for-endangering-children
  2. 02.

    Volack, J. & Zahn, M. (2026). Meta ordered to pay $567M by New Mexico court over child mental health harm. Published 7 August 2026. Source for the Santa Fe County District Court ruling that Meta's conduct was a public nuisance, the $567 million abatement fund for youth mental health treatment and prevention, the earlier jury finding of 75,000 violations at the $375 million maximum penalty, and Meta's response.

    abcnews.com/Business/meta-ordered-pay-567m-new-mexico-court-child/story?id=135452290
  3. 03.

    Schuettler, M. (2026). New Mexico jury finds Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections. Published 25 September 2026. Source for the Santa Fe jury finding more than 43 million violations of state consumer protection law in the 2021 privacy lawsuit tied to Cambridge Analytica, and the penalty being left to the judge.

    www.cp24.com/news/world/2026/09/25/new-mexico-jury-finds-facebook-liable-for-deceiving-users-about-privacy-protections
  4. 04.

    Duhownik, J. (2026). Facebook faced with massive penalties after New Mexico privacy verdict. Published 1 October 2026. Source for the privacy case being heard in Santa Fe County District Court before Judge Francis Mathew under the Unfair Practices Act, and the 1 October penalty hearing.

    www.courthousenews.com/facebook-faced-with-massive-penalties-after-new-mexico-privacy-verdict

Related Entities

platforms
facebook
Defendant in two consumer protection cases the state took to trial in Santa Fe in 2026
organizations
cambridge-analytica
The state's 2021 privacy lawsuit against Facebook grew out of the Cambridge Analytica data episode
people
gary-johnson
Former governor of New Mexico