Dutch billionaire John de Mol filed a lawsuit against Facebook on Wednesday for permitting fake ads on its stage that used his name and image to perpetrate Bitcoin-related fraud.
Lawyers for De Mol, the businessman who made the Big Brother reality tv programme, advised an Amsterdam District Court judge that the company had failed to prevent the advertisements and hadn’t responded in a timely manner to complaints.
The ads, which have been removed, lured individuals to send cash to purchase Bitcoin or even take part in fake cryptocurrency-related companies together with claims of De Mol’s participation, endorsement or funds.
De Mol’s attorneys want the court to purchase Facebook to fix its procedures to automatically block advertisements featuring De Mol and cryptocurrency that they say have caused him reputational harm.
Facebook lawyer Jens van den Brink said the company could not be forced to track all advertisements on its own platforms at all times, and the company had eliminated the ads in question immediately after being made aware of complaints.
Van den Brink also stated Facebook had satisfied with the Dutch financial markets ruler AFM before this week to discuss ways to combat scammers.
Lawyers for De Mol explained that customers were swindled from EUR 1.7 million ($1.9 million) from De Mol-linked advertisements, and that he had been only one of many Dutch celebrities targeted.
Facebook should take pre-emptive actions to block such ads, and its existing vetting system, that is based in part on users self-reporting troubles, was not enough, Schaap said.
“I really don’t understand what reality Facebook resides in, but it doesn’t work,” Lawyer Jacqueline Schaap said.
De Mol additionally sought ensures Facebook would hand over info about the people who create such advertisements therefore it could be supplied to the police.
Van den Brink said , but the organization’s software can be duped by advertisers that alter links in their advertisements or disguise the content of those pages, an issue Facebook is hoping to fight, he explained.
“The people who push these kinds of advertisements are persistent, they are well-funded and they are constantly evolving their deceptive tactics to get about our systems,” Leathern said.
Judge Dudok p Heel didn’t set a date to rule on the circumstance. She remarked near the end of Wednesday’s hearing which it seemed possible the two sides may be able to reach some arrangement.