New Mexico Jury Orders Meta to Pay $25 B, Raising Free-Speech Concerns

A New Mexico district court judge ordered Meta to pay a historic $25 billion fine after a jury concluded the company misrepresented its privacy policies and its ability to control hate speech and misinformation on Facebook. The lawsuit, brought by Democratic Attorney General Raúl Torrez, cited nearly 44 million consumer-protection violations and emphasized the need for corporate accountability. Constitutional attorney Casey Mattox warned the decision could enable a handful of state lawyers to regulate online speech contrary to federal law.

Meta’s chief legal officer C.J. Mahoney said the state’s approach effectively taxes speech and vowed to appeal. Critics, including Jordan Sekulow and Christian Collins, argue the penalty threatens free expression by forcing platforms to censor content. The case also referenced Meta’s 2025 removal of third-party fact-checkers and internal communications about high-profile accounts.