Class Action Lawsuit against Facebook over “Like” Buttons
Los Angeles - The big social media site Facebook is another facing a class action lawsuit. Now the lawsuit is under the terms that they dishonestly took the names and likenesses of minors without parental consent for profits.
In the case #BC444482, David cohen v. Facebook, the plaintiffs argue that Facebook has dishonestly used an underage's name or likeness for profit. Based on the plaintiffs explanations, it has happened more than one million instances.
Facebook is obligated to get parental consent before using that type of information from minor's to profit from it, that's what the plaintiffs believe.
"When a teenager sees that their Facebook friends Like’ an ad, it piques their curiosity, making them more likely to click the ad or visit the page, says Los Angeles plaintiff attorney John Torjesen of John C. Torjesen & Associates. We believe it is a clear case of exploitation of children for the sake of profits."
Facebook says they will fight vigorously because they don't think they have any wrongdoing. "We believe this suit is completely without merit and we will fight it vigorously. The complaint misunderstands the law, it’s intent and the way Facebook works. For example, plaintiffs assert that minors are marketing Facebook through search engines but we do not allow minors to include their profiles in search engines," said Andrew Noyes, Facebook’s manager of public policy communications, in a statement provided to Mashable.
In 2009, Facebook settled a class action lawsuit for $9.5 million over its now-defunct Beacon program.
Since a class action lawsuit is a very complicated subject for a layperson, only an experienced Los Angeles class action lawyer can assist you through all aspects of the legal process. Visit our website if you have any further questions about Los Angeles class action lawsuits.
Resources:
Jennifer Van Grove at Mashable