Old Sins Cast Long Shadows in Menlo Park
Meta is already up to its neck defending itself against the Federal Trade Commission, which insists the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp were blatant attempts to stifle competition. Now, an American jury has officially labelled the firm deceptive regarding its historic data practices.
One courtroom battle is an occupational hazard for Big Tech. Multiple, overlapping legal assaults begin to look like an operational vulnerability.
Legal risk compounds reputational rot.
When regulators scent blood, they rarely back off. Appeals will inevitably follow, and any direct penalty from New Mexico may initially look like pocket change against Meta's colossal cash reserves. Yet the precedent is set, and copycat state litigation could easily follow.