Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has slammed a $5m lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, over an alleged invasion of his privacy.
Falana alleges Meta used his name, image, and voice in a deceptive advertisement for a health product on their platform, representing him as having prostatitis, which he denies.
Falana argued in his suit, filed on February 3, 2025, at the Lagos State High Court, that the unauthorised use of his identity violates his fundamental right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Sections 24(1)(A) and (E) and Section 34(1)(D) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
Falana accused Meta of publishing fraudulent and deceptive content under the page “AfriCare Health Centre” on Facebook, allegedly stating he had battled prostatitis for over 16 years and struggled with symptoms like pain, exhaustion, and urinary issues.
He asserted in court documents that he had no dealings with the respondent or its pages regarding his health, and that the video is inaccurate, misleading, and unfair to him.
Falana is requesting a ruling that Meta’s activities breached his privacy rights, an order that Meta remove the fraudulent video immediately, and $5 million in general damages for the suffering and reputational loss caused.
He alleges that Meta’s failure to verify the claims before publication subjected him to humiliation and emotional hardship.
He further claimed that the alleged fake publicity was motivated by Meta’s desire to increase engagement and advertising income at his expense.
The court has yet to set a date for hearing.
