Japanese billionaire and influencer Yusaku Maezawa has said that he sued Facebook¡¯s Japan branch and its American parent company Meta for their negligence in regulating the use of his name and image in investment scams on their social media platforms.
, Maezawa shared the court documents he submitted to the Tokyo District Court, in which he demands that the defendants ban the use of his name and image in online advertisements and pay ?1 ($0.006) in damages.
¡°Our primary aim is to clarify whether their actions are illegal or not. Additionally, we are requesting a detailed presentation of their (though it seems nonexistent) efforts against fraudulent advertisements, as well as the questioning of responsible parties in court,¡± he posted.
¡°If deemed illegal, it will facilitate damage claims for fraud victims and, more importantly, be a significant step towards preventing fraud,¡± he added.
Maezawa, who founded Zozotown, Japan¡¯s largest online fashion retailing site, is the 28th richest person in Japan, with a net worth of $1.4 billion as of May 2024. He became well-known on Japanese social media after he traveled to the International Space Station in 2021, and has spoken out against Meta¡¯s handling of fraudulent advertisements on Facebook and Instagram since earlier this year.
On April 10, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party hosted a study session on consumer protection issues, and invited Maezawa and Takafumi Horie, another prominent businessman who has had his likeness stolen and used as a means to commit fraud.
Four online scam victims previously sued Facebook¡¯s Japan unit on April 25, saying they were deceived by advertisements that used images of celebrities and claimed to offer high investment returns. The plaintiffs demanded Facebook Japan pay ?23 million in damages.
on its Japanese language site on April 16, detailing its countermeasures against scams that impersonate celebrities. It said the company uses human reviewers who understand the Japanese language and cultural nuances, as well as automated detection.
¡°As online fraud continues to exist, we believe that advancing fraud prevention requires a societal approach, involving collaboration with industry, experts, and relevant organizations. Meta is committed to playing its part in this effort,¡± the release continued.
Maezawa posted on X the same day, saying Meta¡¯s response lacked sincerity.
¡°Hey, come on. How about starting with an apology? Blaming society as a whole? If you have people on your review team who understand Japanese and the cultural background, you should be able to easily identify scam ads using me, Horie-san, and other celebrities, right? Are you kidding me?¡± he posted.
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