Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has initiated a $5 million lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, alleging unauthorized use of his identity in a misleading health advertisement. Filed on February 3, 2025, at the Lagos State High Court, the suit contends that Meta violated Falana’s privacy rights by featuring his name, image, and voice in a promotional video for a health product, falsely portraying him as suffering from prostatitis—a condition he asserts he has never had.
Falana argues that this unauthorized depiction constitutes a breach of his fundamental right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and relevant sections of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. He is seeking a court declaration affirming the violation, an immediate removal of the misleading content from Facebook, and $5 million in general damages for the distress and reputational harm caused.
This legal action underscores the growing concerns over digital privacy and the responsibilities of social media platforms in content moderation. As of now, Meta Platforms Inc. has not issued a public response to the lawsuit.
