Meta faces lawsuits in Japan over fake Facebook, Instagram ads

Oct 30 (NHK) - US tech giant Meta Platforms, which operates Facebook and Instagram, is facing lawsuits in Japan filed by people who claim to have been defrauded through fake advertisements.

Eight of the plaintiffs who live in Osaka, Nara and other prefectures brought their case to the Osaka District Court on Tuesday.

They claim they were defrauded of money by investment-soliciting ads on Facebook and Instagram that featured fake endorsements supposedly from celebrities such as entrepreneur Maezawa Yusaku.

They are seeking damages of some 187 million yen, or about 1.2 million dollars, from Meta and its Japanese arm for ignoring the ads without confirming their contents.

Similar lawsuits were filed at four other courts across Japan on Tuesday.

A total of 30 individuals and corporations are seeking up to about 2.8 million dollars in damages.

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