Forrest Demands Meta Accountability Over Thousands of Scam Ads Using His Likeness
Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest sued Meta in US District Court seeking to strip Section 230 immunity over unauthorized scam ads using his likeness. Since 2019, thousands of deceptive cryptocurrency and financial scheme ads allegedly optimized by Meta’s AI tools have targeted Forrest, victimizing thousands of users.
1. Lawsuit Filing
Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest sued Meta in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging unauthorized use of his likeness in scam advertisements and seeking to remove Section 230 immunity protections from Meta’s ad business.
2. Allegations of Unauthorized Ads
The complaint states that since 2019 thousands of deceptive cryptocurrency and financial scheme ads ran on Meta platforms using Forrest’s image, and that Meta’s AI tools optimized and personalized these ads, resulting in thousands of victims.
3. Section 230 Immunity Debate
Forrest’s attorneys argue Meta forfeited its Section 230 defense by discarding relevant evidence, while Meta maintains it preserved data and remains protected as an intermediary; a judge is expected to rule on the immunity motion in the coming weeks.