Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, accusing it of unlawfully using his name, image, and voice in a false advertisement promoting a health product.
According to the suit, filed at the Lagos State High Court on February 3, 2025, Falana claims Meta falsely portrayed him as suffering from prostatitis, a condition he asserts he has never had. The advertisement, which appeared on Facebook under the page “AfriCare Health Centre,” allegedly misrepresented Falana as someone who had been battling prostatitis for over 16 years, with symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and urinary issues.
Falana argues that Meta’s actions violated his constitutional right to privacy, citing Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. He contends that the unauthorized use of his identity not only breached his privacy but also caused significant distress and reputational harm.
In the court documents, Falana states that he had no prior association with Meta or the “AfriCare Health Centre” page regarding any health matters and denies the accuracy of the claims in the advertisement. He describes the video as misleading and unfair, emphasizing that it had no basis in fact.
Falana is seeking a declaration from the court that Meta’s actions infringed upon his privacy rights. Additionally, he has requested an immediate order for the removal of the video, along with $5 million in general damages for the emotional distress and reputational damage caused by the false publicity. He also accuses Meta of exploiting the situation to drive engagement and ad revenue at his expense, without verifying the claims before publishing.
As of now, the court has not set a date for hearing the case.
