Renowned Nigerian human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, over an alleged invasion of his privacy.
According to court documents filed at the Lagos State High Court in February, and cited by NEWS BULLETIN, Falana accused Meta of unlawfully using his name, image, and voice in a misleading advertisement for a health product.
The advertisement falsely depicted him as suffering from prostatitis—a condition he asserts he has never had.
Falana argued that this unauthorized use of his identity violates his fundamental right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Sections 24(1)(A) and (E) & Section 34(1)(D) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
He further alleged that the misleading content was published on a Facebook page named “AfriCare Health Centre,” falsely claiming that he had battled prostatitis for over 16 years and struggled with symptoms such as pain, fatigue, and urinary issues.
Falana insisted he has never engaged with Meta or its affiliates regarding his health and described the video as false, misleading, and damaging to his reputation.
In his suit, he is seeking a court declaration that Meta’s actions violated his privacy rights, an immediate removal of the false video, and $5 million in general damages for the emotional distress and reputational harm caused. He also faulted Meta for failing to verify the claims before publishing, arguing that this negligence exposed him to public ridicule.
As of the time of filing this report, Meta has yet to comment on the lawsuit.
This development comes months after Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission imposed a $220 million fine on Meta in July last year over personal data breaches.
Following the fine, Meta had reportedly threatened to exit Nigeria.
