scamFamous Japanese billionaire and large business founder, Yusaku Maezawa, said he has filed a lawsuit against the Japanese branch of Facebook and its American parent company Meta. He accuses them of negligence regarding the regulation of the use of his name and image in fraudulent investment schemes on their social media platforms.
Meta社及びFacebook… pic.twitter.com/J1N9xYftqY
— 前澤友作 (@yousuck2020) May 15, 2024
In a publication on Platform X, Maezawa submitted court documents filed with the Tokyo District Court. He is seeking a ban on the use of his name and images in online advertisements, as well as symbolic compensation of ¥1 ($0.006). We have previously covered a major fraud scheme involving the use of Maezawa’s identity in this article: https://cpa.rip/en/news/fake-investments-ads-on-facebook/.
“Our primary aim is to clarify whether their actions are illegal or not. Additionally, we are requesting a detailed presentation of their (though it seems nonexistent) efforts against fraudulent advertisements, as well as the questioning of responsible parties in court,” the billionaire said.
“If deemed illegal, it will facilitate damage claims for fraud victims and, more importantly, be a significant step towards preventing fraud,” he added.
Maezawa, founder of Zozotown, Japan’s largest fashion website, is ranked 28th on Forbes’ list of Japan’s richest people with a fortune of $1.4 billion as of May 2024. He went viral on Japanese social media after traveling to the International Space Station in 2021, and since the beginning of this year, he has also been vocal in his opposition to Meta’s handling of fraudulent ads on Facebook and Instagram.
On April 10, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held a consumer protection training session to which Maezawa and Takafumi Horie, another famous businessman whose image has also been used in illegal schemes, were invited.
On April 16, Meta issued a press release on its Japanese-language website detailing its measures against fraudsters impersonating celebrities. The company said it utilizes a team of experts who understand Japanese language and cultural nuances, as well as automatic detection features for fake ads.
“As online fraud continues to exist, we believe that advancing fraud prevention requires a societal approach, involving collaboration with industry, experts, and relevant organizations. Meta is committed to playing its part in this effort,” the release said.
On the same day, Maezawa wrote in a post on X’s website that Meta’s response didn’t seem sincere enough to him.
“Hey, come on. How about starting with an apology? Blaming society as a whole? If you have people on your review team who understand Japanese and the cultural background, you should be able to easily identify scam ads using me, Horie-san, and other celebrities, right? Are you kidding me?” he wrote.
It is worth noting that the situation with fraudulent ads on Meta platforms has not changed so far, and in early May, Japanese media reported that a 70-year-old man was defrauded of $1.4 million in an online investment scam that used the image of another billionaire.
More information on japantimes: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/05/16/japan/crime-legal/maezawa-sues-meta/.
