OSAKA, Oct 23 – Facebook and Instagram owner Meta Platforms Inc. is set to face more new lawsuits in Japan over fraudulent ads that use fake endorsements from famous celebrities, according to lawyers representing the plaintiffs.
According to the news agency Kyodosome 30 plaintiffs are demanding at least 300 million yen (US$2 million) from the United States (US) tech giant and its Japanese branch, alleging that they failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the fraud.
Claims for damages will be filed in five district courts across Japan, including Saitama, Chiba and Osaka.
Among the celebrities whose names were misused in the fake ad was Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa, founder of online fashion retailer Zozo Inc., who once traveled to the International Space Station in 2021 on a Russian spacecraft. – Named
