Courts / Ireland / Report

Janet Jackson's ex sues Facebook over fake ads

Summary

A UK-based Qatari businessman, Mr Wissam Al Mana, has initiated High Court proceedings in Ireland against Facebook Ireland Ltd and unknown parties responsible for alleged fake advertisements featuring his name and image. The applicant, who is the Executive Director of the Al Mana Group, claims that since May 2019, fake ads using the Facebook Ads Tool have appeared, which he alleges are defamatory and contain malicious falsehood. These ads, he says, direct users to a webpage with a fake news story purporting to be an exclusive interview with him, promoting a cryptocurrency auto-trading program called Bitcoin Trader. Mr Al Mana asserts that the ads are targeted and that the content includes false statements attributed to him. The case was briefly mentioned before Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds, with the court agreeing to adjourn the matter for a week to allow discussions between the applicant's legal team and Facebook's representatives. The applicant's lawyers are seeking an order requiring Facebook to disclose information to identify the unknown advertisers. The procedural stage is hearing_or_decision.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Janet Jackson's ex sues Facebook over fake ads. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• May 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2020-03-04 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

Read the original CNI report