Meta faces new lawsuits in Japan over fake ads

TOKYO, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) — Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a fresh wave of lawsuits in Japan, with 30 plaintiffs seeking a total of 435 million yen (about 2.8 million U.S. dollars) in damages for losses tied to fraudulent investment ads using fake celebrity endorsements, local media reported Tuesday.
The plaintiffs claim Meta and its Japanese subsidiary failed to take sufficient action to prevent the scams. Lawsuits were filed Tuesday across district courts in Osaka, Kobe, Yokohama, Chiba and Saitama, according to Kyodo News.
The ads allegedly featured endorsements from high-profile figures, leading the plaintiffs to transfer money to designated accounts after viewing the misleading content.
The lawsuits argue that Meta has a duty to scrutinize ad content and block posts that could harm users. A similar suit was filed against Meta earlier this year in Kobe, involving four plaintiffs, which Meta is currently seeking to dismiss, Kyodo reported. ■