DOMINANT ANGLE
Brussels first weighs the financial scope of the sanction: 25 billion dollars, 15% annual interest, and a striking contrast with the 459 million of other states.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $25 billion ("around 22 billion euros" according to VRT NWS) on Wednesday for deceiving residents about their data.
- 02
The amount will increase by $3.75 billion per year, or 15% interest, until it is paid (La Libre Belgique).
- 03
Other states settled their claims at the end of August for $459 million; New Mexico is the only one to have taken the case to trial.
ANALYSIS
Brussels, October 22, 2026. The Belgian press reported on Wednesday, October 21, the condemnation of Meta to $25 billion by a New Mexico judge, Francis Mathew, in a case stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. La Libre Belgique, citing "several American media outlets," speaks of a condemnation for deceiving the state's inhabitants about the use of their personal data. VRT NWS converts the sum for its audience: "over 22 billion euros."
The two media outlets emphasize the mechanics of the numbers. On September 25, a Santa Fe jury had recognized Facebook as responsible for nearly 44 million violations of the state's law on unfair commercial practices, with up to one violation per inhabitant for each of the deemed misleading statements, out of approximately 2.1 million inhabitants. VRT NWS details that the judge calculated a fine of around $219.5 billion, with a cap of $5,000 per violation, before reducing it to $25 billion. La Libre adds that the sum will increase by $3.75 billion per year, or 15% interest, as long as it has not been paid. The judge justifies these penalties with the "extraordinary" number of violations.
The comparative context occupies a central place. New Mexico is the only state to have brought the scandal to court: the other states that were pursuing Meta settled their claims at the end of August for $459 million, in a broader agreement of $16.7 billion, according to VRT NWS, which mentions the addictive nature of algorithms for children. Compared to these $459 million, the New Mexico bill changes scale.
Attorney General Raul Torrez welcomed, at a press conference, "one of the most important judgments, if not the most important, obtained by a state against a company in American history." The two articles recall the origin of the case: revealed in 2018, the scandal involved Cambridge Analytica, a British firm according to VRT NWS, analyzing the data of millions of users without their consent, for political advertising purposes, notably for Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.
Regarding the follow-up, the available Belgian texts remain brief: Meta had not reacted at the time of publication, and its lawyer had hinted at the beginning of October that it would appeal any financial sanction. The coverage therefore remains focused on the amount, the interest, and the gap with the regulations of other states, rather than on the regulatory or European scope of the case.
