Japanese billionaire sues Meta over investment scams using his image

Entrepreneurs Yusaku Maezawa (second from right) and Takafumi Horie (third from right) attend a study session on fake social media ads and investment scams at the Liberal Democratic Party headquarters in Tokyo on April 10. | JIJI

by FRANCIS TANG
May 16, 2024

Japanese billionaire and influencer Yusaku Maezawa has said that he sued Facebook's Japan branch and its American parent company Meta for their negligence in regulating the use of his name and image in investment scams on their social media platforms.

In a post Wednesday on X, Maezawa shared the court documents he submitted to the Tokyo District Court, in which he demands that the defendants ban the use of his name and image in online advertisements and pay ¥1 ($0.006) in damages.

“Our primary aim is to clarify whether their actions are illegal or not. Additionally, we are requesting a detailed presentation of their (though it seems nonexistent) efforts against fraudulent advertisements, as well as the questioning of responsible parties in court,” he posted.