An Australian billionaire, Andrew Forrest, has launched a criminal case against Facebook because the company allegedly failed to prevent scam ads that used his image.
Andrew Forrest argues that Facebook breached Australian anti-money laundering laws over the spread of cryptocurrency cons.
He said it was the first time Facebook was facing a criminal case globally. Facebook’s owner, Meta, did not comment on Dr Forrest’s case but said it was “committed to keeping those people [scammers] off our platform”.
Dr Andrew Forrest, who is chairman of miner Fortescue Metals, alleged Facebook had been “criminally reckless” in not doing more to halt the ads, which first appeared in early 2019.
The scams use his image – and those of other celebrities – to promote bogus investments that promise riches. Although Facebook bans such ads, many still appear on the platform.
Dr Forrest said he had also written an open letter to Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg in November 2019, urging him to take more action.
The case will be heard in the Magistrates Court of Western Australia from 28 March. If it is successful, Facebook could face fines or be forced to change its advertising.
Dr Forrest has also filed a civil lawsuit in the US state of California, where Facebook is headquartered.
In that lawsuit he alleges that Facebook “knowingly profits from this cycle of illegal ads”, The Australian newspaper reported.
Sources: BBC, The Independent
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