Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska and his wife want to sue Meta over fake advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, which show his face and circulate false information about her on the social media platforms.
Brzoska said it has not yet been decided in which jurisdiction the planned lawsuit will be filed. It would be yet another attempt to hold the internet giant globally liable for ads that continue to appear even after users have alerted the company to problems.
A Meta spokesperson said the company removes fake ads from its platforms when it becomes aware of them and works with local authorities to combat scammers.
Brzoska, founder of Polish parcel locker company InPost, said he alerted Meta to the problem in early July but no solution could be found.
“We plan to file a private lawsuit against Meta… We have not yet determined in which jurisdictions we will sue Meta. We will make a decision in the coming weeks,” Brzoska told Reuters.
“…we are absolutely considering all possible scenarios, including a lawsuit in the United States if nothing is done in Europe,” he added.
Brzoska said he and his wife would demand that Meta stop profiting from promoting content that violates their rights and that a large compensation be donated to charity, equal to the advertising revenue from the spread of this kind of disinformation.
Last week, the President of the Office for the Protection of Personal Data ordered Meta Platforms Ireland Limited to stop displaying false advertisements with real details and images of Brzoska and his wife on Facebook and Instagram in Poland for three months.
“Scammers use every platform at their disposal to scam people and constantly adapt to avoid being caught. Scam content violates our rules and we remove it when we find it,” a Meta spokesperson said in an emailed statement, adding that the company was reviewing the office’s decision.
“We also work with businesses, local governments and law enforcement to defeat these dedicated criminals.”
© Thomson Reuters 2024
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