One billionaire from Qatari has been falsely represented on an advertisement through the social media platform, Facebook. This individual is Wissam Al Mana, who was formally married to Janet Jackson. He’d been informed that his photograph was being illegally used in a cryptocurrency-related advertisement. This class-action lawsuit has been filed through the Dublin High Court, which is where Facebook’s European Headquarters is located. This lawsuit claims Facebook allowed for this fraudulent advertisement to run without the consent of Wissam Al Mana. This billionaire claims that Facebook didn’t consider how this would affect crypto investment products in the Middle East, forcing some traders to register with an illegally-maintained exchange.
This will be one of the most challenging lawsuits for Facebook, with both the social media giant and this billionaire, having a substantial sum of money for court costs. Wissam Al Mana has employed Paul Tweed, one of the most notable defamation lawyers worldwide. He’s represented countless high-profile cases regarding Middle Eastern Billions and Government Officials. This extends to renowned celebrities as well. This includes Nicholas Cage, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Lopez, Harrison Ford and Jessica Biel.
Paul Tweed selected the Dublin High Courts for a specific purpose, with European Laws being more suitable for defamation lawsuits. The United States is infamous is exploiting the amendment constitutional laws, enabling for the free speech act to be employed and the plaintiff to avoid any responsibilities. These sort of actions aren’t permitted under European Law, with Al Mana holding prominent ties to multiple nations in the Union. He maintains substantial shares in the Hermes, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Harvey Nicholas brands. Permitting a falsified advertisement will most likely result in Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook payout out a substantial fine to Al Mana.
This isn’t the first time that an illegal cryptocurrency exchange has used photographs and false endorsements from global celebrities. It is, however, the first time that a Middle Eastern Billionaire has been used across a social media platform. Details regarding the perpetrators behind this illegal advertisement haven’t been provided by Al Mana or the Securities Exchange Commission.