Andrew Forrest levelled a criminal case against Meta – the owner of Facebook – in 2022 over cryptocurrency scam ads bearing his likeness.Credit:Bloomberg/Getty
Between April and December,there were 1700 new fraudulent ads posted,aided and abetted by 10 to 15 fake Andrew Forrest Facebook profiles popping up each week supporting them.
With the social media groups doing little to combat the problem,Clarke is the spearhead of the billionaire’s challenge to the reach of US laws that have cloaked its trillion-dollar business from the harm caused by fraud on its platform globally.
“This will not change unless and until a court decision can order the US platforms to take effective measures to stop it,” says Clarke. “Dr Forrest’s action seeks to do that.”
While Forrestfailed with criminal charges against Facebook in Australia in April this year,civil action in the US – which he commenced in 2021 – challenges Facebook owner Meta on its use of legal immunity for online publishers to shield its entire business from any liability.
Facebook filed a motion to dismiss the case earlier this year and a judgment is expected at any time. A lot is at stake for Facebook and its $US1.3 trillion parent,Meta,which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp.
Facebook is protected from almost any harm caused by its platform thanks to the Communications Decency Act,which was enacted by president Bill Clinton’s administration in the 1990s – before Facebook existed.
It was designed to protect internet service providers,such as AOL,from any liability for what was published on their platforms.