Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, alleging a serious invasion of his privacy. The suit, filed at the Lagos State High Court on February 3, 2025, claims Meta wrongfully used his name, image, and voice in a false advertisement for a health product, falsely depicting him as suffering from prostatitis – a condition Falana states he has never had.
Falana’s legal action centers on a Facebook page, “AfriCare Health Centre,” where the advertisement falsely claimed he had battled prostatitis for over 16 years, enduring symptoms like pain, fatigue, and urinary issues. He asserts he has never had any dealings with Meta or its associated pages regarding his health, and that the video is entirely false, misleading, and unfair.
The lawyer argues that Meta’s unauthorized use of his identity violates his fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in 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 contends that Meta’s failure to verify the claims before publishing exposed him to ridicule and emotional distress, all while seeking to boost engagement and ad revenue at his expense.
Falana is seeking a court declaration that Meta’s actions violated his privacy rights. He also wants the court to order Meta to immediately remove the false video and award him $5 million in general damages for the distress and reputational harm caused. The court has yet to schedule a hearing date for the case.