Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has taken Meta Platforms Inc. to court, demanding $5 million in damages over what he describes as a serious violation of his privacy. The lawsuit, filed before the Lagos High Court, accuses Mark Zuckerberg’s tech giant of falsely associating him with a medical condition he has never suffered from.
Falana, a vocal advocate for human rights and constitutional law, claims that Meta’s platform, Facebook, published a misleading video falsely linking him to prostatitis, a condition affecting the prostate gland. The video, allegedly uploaded under a page titled “AfriCare Health Centre”, features motion images, voice captions, and written statements suggesting that Falana has battled the disease for over 16 years.
Describing the publication as false, misleading, and damaging to his reputation, Falana argues that Meta violated his right to privacy, as protected under Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution (1999, as amended) and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
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In his lawsuit, Falana is asking the court to: Declare Meta’s actions an invasion of his privacy and a violation of his fundamental rights. Order the immediate removal of the video from Facebook and all related platforms and Award him $5 million in damages for the emotional, psychological, and reputational harm caused.
Falana argues that the publication has painted him in a false light, causing mental distress, embarrassment, and potential damage to his decades-long legal career.
In his affidavit, Falana asserts that Meta failed to verify the authenticity of the content before allowing it to be published and widely circulated. He accuses the company of acting recklessly by permitting unverified health-related claims that could damage his public image. He further alleges that Meta benefits financially from such misleading posts through advertising revenue, making its negligence even more alarming.
The Lagos High Court is expected to begin hearing the case in the coming weeks, with Meta’s legal team yet to issue an official response.
This developing story raises critical questions: How accountable should tech giants be for content published on their platforms? And what safeguards should be in place to protect individuals from false and damaging online claims?
