Meta Ordered to Pay $25 Billion Penalty Over Facebook User Data Handling

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay a record $25 billion penalty after a jury found that Facebook repeatedly misled consumers about privacy protections and personal information handling, stemming from issues related to the 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal. Despite the ruling, Meta stock climbed roughly 2% to around $708, as investors focus on the company's booming AI business, including the Muse AI assistant which has reached 10.9 million downloads and 2.5 million daily active users as of October 16. The $25 billion penalty, which was reduced from a potential over $219 billion, represents about 1.4% of Meta's $1.8 trillion market value, and the company faces a lengthy legal battle.