Meta Cleared of Criminal Charges, Faces Civil Suit

by

Australian lawyers have withdrawn the criminal case against Meta (META.O) brought by mining tycoon Andrew Forrest over accusations of deceptive cryptocurrency ads featuring his image on Facebook. This decision thwarted Forrest’s efforts to hold the tech giant accountable for false advertising on the internet.

Meta is currently involved in a civil lawsuit initiated by Forrest in California. This legal action came about despite the fact that Meta wasn’t present during the conclusion of any related criminal proceedings. The case is still underway. However, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office (CDPP) reportedly characterized the evidence against Forrest as insufficient for a non-prosecution decision, leaving Mr. Forrest feeling displeased.

Forest asserted that Meta had broken Australia’s law against money laundering by permitting shady cryptocurrency advertisements from third parties on their platform. Additionally, Forest and Meta both committed to combating fraudulent activities across all their platforms. They urged victims of scams to reach out to customer support for help.

Forest firmly declared his intention to see the California case concluded. He pointed a finger at Meta for their alleged negligence in dealing with misleading ads. Forest’s demonstration revealed over a thousand counterfeit ads, bearing his profile, that were displayed on Facebook between April 2023 and November 2023. These deceptive ads resulted in significant financial losses for consumers.

Read More

2024-04-13 00:36