By Njoku Chijioke
Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., accusing the tech giant of invading his privacy by publishing a false and misleading video about his health.
Filed before a Lagos High Court, the suit alleges that Facebook, owned by Mark Zuckerberg, hosted a video falsely claiming Falana has battled prostatitis for over 16 years.
The video, posted under the “AfriCare Health Centre” page, allegedly features his name, image, and voice, violating Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
Falana argues that the publication has damaged his reputation, caused emotional distress, and constitutes an unlawful intrusion into his private life.
He is seeking a court order compelling Meta to delete the video and prevent further use of his identity without consent.
Describing the content as false, offensive, and reckless, Falana claims Meta’s failure to verify the video before publication was aimed at driving traffic and boosting ad revenue.
The court is expected to rule on the case in the coming weeks.
