Privacy and data protection stories

Oct 21, 2026

Meta ordered to pay $25 billion to New Mexico in data privacy case

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta Platforms to pay $25 billion to the state after a jury found the company deceived users about privacy practices, one of the largest penalties ever levied against a tech company.

Oct 21, 20264 sources

Oct 14, 2026

Republican and Democratic lawmakers introduce bills to restrict Flock automated license plate readers

Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) introduced legislation Thursday to ban certain ALPR searches amid privacy concerns over Flock cameras tracking vehicle locations, while Rep. Rashida Tlaib separately introduced a bill to prohibit federal funding for Flock technology. The bipartisan legislative push comes as police departments nationwide expand use of the surveillance cameras despite growing privacy backlash.

Oct 14, 20266 sources

Top claims

▪New Mexico became the first U.S. state to win a jury verdict against Meta Platforms Inc. over claims concerning youth mental health and child sexual exploitation
▪Judge Francis Mathew of the New Mexico State District Court ordered Meta Platforms Inc. on October 21, 2026 to pay a $25 billion penalty for deceiving users about data privacy practices
▪New Mexico prosecutors presented evidence that Meta Platforms Inc. misled the public by exempting certain high-profile accounts from standard content moderation and hate speech scrutiny

Subtopics

Technology2 Civil liberties1 Congress1 Data platforms1 Flock Safety surveillance backlash1 Judiciary1 Law enforcement1 State politics1 Surveillance1 U.S. House of Representatives politics1

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