Meta fined $25bn for 'lies' over user data privacy

Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp has been hit with the largest ever fine against it for its business practices.A judge in New Mexico on Wednesday ordered the company to pay $25bn (£18.6bn) following a two week trial earlier this year that found it had spent years lying to the public about how it handled Facebook user data."The lies extend beyond Facebook's data practices as well," the judge said, adding they went to "the heart of Facebook's core business practices."The fine is the largest to date against Meta, which has either been fined or agreed to settle several other lawsuits this year, including an $18bn deal with California over child safety.The lawsuit stemmed from the role of Meta, then known as Facebook, in what became known as the Cambridge Analytica scandal. That firm used Facebook user information as part of its work in political consulting, including on work related to the 2016 US Presidential election, which saw Donald Trump elected for the first time.Lawyers for New Mexcio sued the company over many statements Meta executives had made over the years that user data was never sold or shared with third parties, when in reality it had been.Judge ...