The Court case between mining magnet Andrew Forrest and Meta has been dropped by Australian prosecutors.
Recall that Andrew Forrest the 37% owner of iron ore producer Forescue Metal Group and also Australia`s second richest person was prosecuting Meta over what he said were thousands of scam cryptocurrency advertisements on Facebook that feature his face.
Forrest has accused Meta of breaking Australia’s anti-money laundering laws by allowing third-party scammers to use its software and platform to advertise fake cryptocurrency schemes that feature photos of his face, leading people to believe he had endorsed them.
The decision is a setback for Forrest, in his quest to hold the internet giant accountable for the ads.
Meanwhile he has also filed a separate civil lawsuit against Meta over the ads in California and it is ongoing.
A spokesperson for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions said on Friday that the department had found there was insufficient evidence to continue the prosecution, but did not elaborate.
Forrest said in a statement that the decision to dismiss the case was “a tragedy for innocent parents and grandparents who have lost their life savings.”
Forrest added that he would continue to pursue the California case, in which he accuses the U.S. firm of taking insufficient steps to prevent the advertisements.
But a Meta spokesperson said scams were a complex threat, perpetrators use every available platform and “our sympathy goes out to people who have been impacted”.
“Meta doesn’t want scams on its platforms and we will continue to work tirelessly to prevent them and protect our users,” the spokesperson said.
