Meta Platforms Inc. has received new lawsuits totalling 435 million yen ($2.8 million) in damages. The lawsuits were filed by 30 Japanese residents who were victims of fraudulent Facebook adverts, Japanese media reported.
The Japanese complained that the social network Facebook distributed adverts that attracted investments with the help of fake signatures of celebrities. Meta, according to the plaintiffs, failed to respond to the fake ads and did not take action to stop the fraud. The plaintiffs appealed to the Osaka, Yokohama, Chiba and Saitama district courts.
According to lawyer Kusuo Tsuneoka, who works for the plaintiffs, businessmen Yusaku Maezawa and Takafumi Hori, whose individuals are involved in the scam, asked Meta to remove the ads, but the company, they said, ignored the request.
Tsuneoka told a news conference in Chiba, near Tokyo, that the legal team was considering filing additional lawsuits, saying:
“If more people speak out, we will have more rules against false advertising. We would like affected people to contact us.”
Earlier this year, Meta was sued by a group of four people in Kobe over a similar claim. The company is seeking to have the damages claim dismissed.
