A Polish Billionaire Plans to Sue Meta due to Fake ads on Facebook and Instagram

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, is being sued by Polish billionaire Rafal Brzoska and his wife. The billionaire claims that the social media giant refused to remove fraudulent adverts starring him and is disseminating misleading information about his wife through its platforms. Brzoska, the founder of the Polish parcel locker business InPost, also stated that, after informing Meta of the problem in July, the company reportedly failed to take any action.

What the Polish billionaire says

Brzoska is still deciding on the jurisdiction for the complaint, but she is determined to hold Meta accountable for the continued presence of these bogus advertisements.

"We want to bring a private lawsuit against Meta. We have not yet decided which jurisdictions we will suit Meta in. "We will make a decision in the coming weeks," Brzoska said.

"...we are considering absolutely all scenarios, including a lawsuit in the United States if there is inaction in Europe," according to him.

Brzoska also indicated that he and his wife would urge Meta to cease benefiting from content that violates their rights and demand hefty compensation, which they want to donate to charity, reflecting the advertising money produced by propagating such lies.

Last Monday, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office ordered Meta Platforms Ireland Limited to stop showing fake adverts on Facebook and Instagram in Poland that used genuine data and photographs of Brzoska and his wife for three months, according to the report.

What Meta Has to Say

Meanwhile, a Meta spokeswoman noted that when fake advertising is detected, the business eliminates it and collaborates with local authorities to combat fraudsters.

"We also partner with businesses, local administrations, and law enforcement to defeat these committed criminals," according to the organization.

A Meta representative told Reuters via email that the business is reviewing the decision made by the Ireland PDP office.

The business stated, "Scammers exploit every channel available to them to scam consumers and continually adapt to avoid being discovered. Scam content violates our policies, and we delete it when we uncover it."