Previous Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee submitted a lawsuit in opposition to Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) on Monday, alleging the firm authorized and profited from bogus Facebook ads using his identify and impression to market CBD items.
The accommodate, filed in U.S. District Court docket in Delaware, promises Facebook adverts falsely mentioned Huckabee was leaving his Trinity Broadcasting Network exhibit to endorse Fortin CBD gummies, Legislation360 repoted. Some advertisements allegedly connected to a fake Fox News internet site, falsely reporting Huckabee had an autoimmune ailment healed by CBD use.
According to the grievance, 1 advertisement attributed fictitious rates to Huckabee, including: “CBD healed me and can save American lives” and “After connecting with this earth-renowned workforce of doctors and scientists who discovered a solution to this problem, I can confidently say CBD is the potential of drugs in America.”
Huckabee asserts he has under no circumstances endorsed or utilized CBD products and solutions and opposes marijuana and its derivatives. The complaint alleges the unauthorized adverts ran from April 9 to at minimum June 6, 2024.
“Because Meta authorised and preserved adverts that unauthorizedly utilized and exploited Plaintiff’s title, photograph, and likeness, Plaintiff is now wrongly connected with the CBD sector and cannabis use,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit accuses Meta of violating the Arkansas Frank Broyles Publicity Legal rights Safety Act, invasion of privacy, and unjust enrichment. It seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, unspecified restitution, and punitive damages.
Huckabee promises Meta authorised the ads with “actual malice or, at minimum, with reckless disregard to their truthfulness or precision.” The fit argues that Part 230 of the Communications Decency Act does not shield Meta from liability mainly because the claims include Huckabee’s intellectual home rights.
The criticism also says that comparable fraudulent CBD ads on Fb have qualified other media personalities because 2021.
“Plaintiff has talked to numerous lovers who, regrettably, believed these advertisements have been correct and acquired the CBD products and solutions,” the fit claimed. “Without the unauthorized use of Plaintiff’s identify, photograph, and likeness, these fans would very likely have by no means obtained the CBD products.”
