- Femi Falana filed a lawsuit against Meta for $5 million at the Lagos State High Court on February 3, 2025, over false health claims in a Facebook ad
- The lawsuit stems from a misleading ad on “AfriCare Health Centre” falsely linking Falana to prostatitis, a condition he denies having
- Falana sought damages for emotional distress and reputational harm, arguing Meta failed to verify the claims before publishing the content
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.
Falana claims Meta used his name, image, and voice in a false advertisement for a health product, portraying him as suffering from prostatitis—a condition he says he has never had.
In the suit, filed at the Lagos State High Court on February 3, 2025, Falana argues that the unauthorized use of his identity violates his fundamental right to privacy under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The lawsuit stems from a misleading advertisement posted on a Facebook page named “AfriCare Health Centre,” which falsely claimed that Falana had been battling prostatitis for over 16 years and had endured symptoms like pain, fatigue, and urinary issues.
Falana insists he has had no association with the page or the health claims presented.
In his legal documents, Falana describes the video as false and misleading, accusing Meta of unfairly damaging his reputation.
He seeks a declaration that Meta's actions violated his privacy rights, an order for the removal of the video, and $5 million in general damages for the emotional distress and reputational harm caused by the incident.
Falana further asserts that Meta failed to verify the claims before publishing the content, thus exposing him to ridicule and emotional distress.
He argues that the false publicity was driven by Meta's attempt to boost user engagement and ad revenue at his expense.
The court has yet to set a hearing date for the case.
Falana blames Nigerian police for stampede deaths, demands compensation for affected families
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that human rights lawyer Femi Falana had called for the Nigerian Police Force to be held accountable for the deaths of Nigerians during the recent food stampedes in Oyo, Abuja, and Anambra States.
Speaking on Friday, December 27, at a public lecture in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, Falana condemned the Police for failing to uphold their constitutional duties, which he said directly contributed to the deaths and injuries.
