The social media giant Meta has been ordered to pay a staggering $25 billion to the state of New Mexico following a two-week trial that found the company had violated the state’s consumer protection laws 43 million times.

The case, which centered around a third-party app linked to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, as well as controversial data privacy and misinformation policies, underscores the ongoing costs of the 2016 election data breach. The fine is the largest ever imposed on a tech company in the United States.

Meta’s Chief Legal Officer, C.J. Mahoney, stated that the ruling would make it “all but impossible to do business in the state of New Mexico,” and that the lawsuit sought to impose a “tax on speech.” However, he expressed confidence that the company would prevail on appeal, maintaining that their platform is essential for connecting millions of Americans and supporting small businesses.

“We may have paid for the construction of schools for the next 100 years,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, highlighting the severity of the financial impact. The outcome of this case will likely set a precedent for similar enforcement actions across the country.