As an analyst with a background in technology law, I find this lawsuit between Meta Platforms and Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest particularly intriguing. The recent ruling by U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts that allows Forrest’s publicity rights and negligence claims to proceed is a significant development in the case.
A U.S. judge declined Meta Platform’s attempt to throw out a lawsuit filed against them by the wealthy Australian mining magnate, Andrew Forrest.
A legal dispute has arisen concerning a string of misleading Facebook advertisements showcasing Forrest endorsing bogus cryptocurrency initiatives and other questionable investments. Forrest is pursuing legal action against Meta, arguing that the tech giant should be held accountable for facilitating the spread of these fraudulent ads.
My findings indicate that Meta’s effort to dismiss the lawsuit did not prevail. In response, U.S. District Judge Casey Pitts granted Forrest the opportunity to present evidence of Meta’s negligence. The ruling was grounded on the premise that Meta failed to adhere to its commercial obligation to run operations in a prudent and sensible manner by permitting the offending ads.
“According to Dr. Forrest’s assertion, Meta gained more revenue from advertisements featuring his image than they would have without them, as stated by Pitts. This is a substantial argument that the unauthorized use of Forrest’s likeness benefited Meta financially.”
The lawsuit
As a data analyst examining Forrest’s case, I discovered that over a thousand ads were published on Facebook within the Australian region between April and November 2023. The financial repercussions for those adversely affected were substantial, totaling millions of dollars in losses.
As a crypto investor, I’ve come across misleading ads that falsely portrayed Forrest as endorsing pump and dump schemes. These ads were meticulously designed to bypass Facebook’s ad review systems, making them appear legitimate. In reality, Forrest claimed that Meta’s software played a role in creating some of these fraudulent ads through the use of Generative AI.
Starting from 2019, I became aware that bogus ads with my name and image were being used on Facebook to promote fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and other questionable schemes. These deceitful advertisements came with fabricated testimonials from supposed investors who claimed they turned a small initial investment into vast fortunes within a short timeframe. Additionally, some of these ads featured manipulated “deepfake” videos of me.
As a crypto investor, I was alarmed when I discovered that fake ads featuring deepfakes of Dr. Andrew Forrest promoting cryptocurrencies on Facebook were circulating. These ads, which clearly infringed upon his publicity rights, were not only misleading but potentially harmful to unsuspecting investors like myself.
— Rob Freund (@RobertFreundLaw) June 18, 2024
The lawsuit asserted that Meta makes available a variety of advertising tools for users, who access these features through a distinct platform. Additionally, it was contended that Meta offers tools to improve the visual appeal of ads on its website, without prior reviewing them before they are financed by advertisers.
Andrew Forrest is Australia’s second-richest person and is very active in the mining industry.
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2024-06-19 22:10