Jury Finds Facebook Liable for Deceiving Users on Privacy

Why it matters locally: Given Illinois's substantial population, a significant number of residents were likely among the 87 million users whose data was harvested in the Cambridge Analytica breach. This verdict could influence how similar data privacy cases are handled for Illinois users in the future.

A New Mexico jury found Facebook liable for deceiving users about privacy protections. The verdict concluded a trial that focused on accusations the social media company misled individuals regarding a data breach. The breach originated from a third-party personality quiz. This quiz harvested data from an estimated 87 million user profiles. The company Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm, then purchased this data. Cambridge Analytica used the data to generate targeted advertisements.