Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
A lawyer in the United States who shares his name with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has filed a lawsuit against the social media giant, claiming his account was repeatedly suspended for “impersonating a celebrity”.
Mark S Zuckerberg, a bankruptcy attorney based in Indiana, says his account has been shut down five times in the last eight years, costing him both money and clients. He argues that the wrongful suspensions have had a direct impact on his business, with losses running into thousands of dollars.
Speaking to WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, Zuckerberg said, “It’s not funny. Not when they take my money.”
The 65-year-old lawyer has been practising for nearly four decades, long before Mark E Zuckerberg, the tech billionaire behind Facebook, became a household name. Yet, he says the platform continues to treat him as an impostor.
Emails shared with local media show that Facebook accused him of using a “fake name”. To prove otherwise, the attorney submitted his photo ID, credit cards, and even multiple photos of his face — but the suspensions continued.
His account was most recently disabled in May this year. Only after he filed a lawsuit in Marion Superior Court was it restored.
In a statement, Meta admitted the account was mistakenly disabled. “We reinstated Mark Zuckerberg’s account, after finding it had been disabled in error,” the company said, adding it was working to prevent similar cases in the future.
However, Zuckerberg claims Meta breached its contract with him, pointing out that he paid $11,000 (£8,200) for Facebook ads that were improperly taken down. “It's like buying a billboard on the side of the highway, paying the people for the billboard and then they come and put a giant blanket over it and you don't get the benefit of what you paid for,” he said.
Interestingly, the attorney has even created a website documenting mix-ups with his name. In one case, he says, he was mistakenly sued by the state of Washington for abuse because of the confusion.
