The ruling follows a lawsuit linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which millions of Facebook users had their personal information collected without their knowledge.

The state will direct the penalty towards a public education fund to support future educational initiatives, while Meta plans to appeal the decision.

A Santa Fe jury found Meta responsible for 43 million violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws following a two-week trial.

Jurors determined that 26 of 29 statements made by the company and its executives were unfair or deceptive. The state initially sought up to $40 billion, while Judge Francis J. Mathew reduced the final penalty to $25 billion.

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