Meta is facing a state trial in New Mexico over its role in the Cambridge Analytica data breach, with opening statements beginning on September 9. The New Mexico Department of Justice is seeking the maximum civil penalties available under the state's Unfair Practices Act, plus an injunction to prevent similar practices in the future. The trial, held in Santa Fe's First Judicial District Court, is expected to last approximately four weeks and will include video depositions from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg.

What Happened in the Cambridge Analytica Case?

The scandal centers on a personality-quiz app developed by Aleksandr Kogan that collected far more data than users realized. According to the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Kogan worked with Cambridge Analytica and its former CEO Alexander Nix to harvest Facebook profile information from app users and millions of their Facebook friends, many of whom had never even used the app. Facebook estimated in 2018 that information belonging to as many as 87 million users may have been improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica.

The collected data was weaponized for political purposes. Cambridge Analytica used the information to generate personality scores, match users with US voter records, and provide voter-profiling and targeted-advertising services. This raised fundamental questions about how platforms handle third-party access to personal information and whether users can truly control how their data is used.

How Did Meta Respond to Previous Investigations?

The Cambridge Analytica scandal triggered regulatory investigations across multiple jurisdictions. In 2019, Facebook agreed to a USD 5 billion settlement with the FTC, which included new requirements governing the company's privacy practices. However, the New Mexico case represents a fresh legal challenge under state consumer protection law, suggesting that the company's previous settlements have not fully resolved the issue.

Meta is also facing separate litigation in New Mexico concerning child safety on Facebook and Instagram. In August, the First Judicial District Court ordered Meta to pay USD 567 million and implement court-supervised safeguards for younger users for five years. Combined with a USD 375 million civil penalty imposed by a jury earlier in 2026, Meta's total financial exposure in that separate child safety case reached USD 942 million.

What Are the Key Issues in This Trial?

• Platform Responsibility: The trial revisits questions about whether platforms bear responsibility for personal data accessed through third-party applications and subsequently misused for political profiling.
• Privacy Representations: The case puts Facebook's public statements about privacy and its handling of third-party access to personal data before a jury under New Mexico's consumer protection law.
• User Consent and Transparency: The trial examines whether users had adequate notice that their information could be accessed by third parties for purposes they may not have anticipated or approved.

The outcome could provide significant guidance on how state consumer protection rules apply to platform practices that enabled third parties to access and use personal information without explicit user consent. This is particularly important because it tests whether state-level laws can hold tech companies accountable when federal settlements have already been reached.

Why Does This Matter Now?

The Cambridge Analytica scandal occurred years ago, but its legal ramifications continue to unfold. This New Mexico trial represents a test of whether state governments can pursue their own enforcement actions against Meta for privacy violations, even after federal regulators have already penalized the company. The trial also signals ongoing concern about how social media platforms manage third-party developer access to user data, a practice that remains common across the industry.

For Meta, the stakes are substantial. Beyond the potential financial penalties, an unfavorable ruling could result in court-ordered changes to how the company manages third-party access to user information. Such an injunction could reshape Meta's developer ecosystem and data-sharing policies across Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms. The trial also keeps public attention focused on Meta's historical privacy practices at a time when the company is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and the metaverse, areas that will require users to trust Meta with sensitive personal information.