A trial against Facebook has begun in New Mexico concerning a privacy scandal that emerged during the 2016 US election. The case centres on allegations that the political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica acquired user data harvested from millions of Facebook profiles.
Attorney Randi McGinn, representing New Mexico, told jurors that Cambridge Analytica allegedly used Facebook profile data to target Democratic voters with messages intended to reduce voter turnout. New Mexico argues that Facebook failed to alert or protect users from a personality quiz on the platform that harvested data from approximately 87 million profiles, which was then sold to Cambridge Analytica.
Facebook's attorney, Dane Butswinkas, stated during opening statements that the company investigated suspicious third-party apps after the breach and that safeguards have since improved. He argued that much of the state's evidence is outdated. The state is seeking maximum civil penalties under New Mexico law, up to $5,000 per violation, and an injunction to prevent future data breaches.
This trial in Santa Fe follows a landmark settlement reached two weeks prior between Meta and 48 US states regarding child safety and privacy issues related to the same data breach. New Mexico is the only state that has proceeded to trial, with court proceedings anticipated to last four weeks and include a video deposition from Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg.