Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, has filed a $5 million lawsuit in the Lagos High Court against Meta Platforms Inc., the U.S.-based tech company owned by Mark Zuckerberg, over an alleged invasion of his privacy.
The suit accuses Meta of publishing a video on its platform, Facebook, which falsely portrays Falana as suffering from a disease called ‘Prostatitis,’ thereby violating his privacy rights.
In his motion, filed under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and sections 24(1)(A), (E), and 34(1)(D) of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, Falana, through his attorney Olumide Babalola, contends that the publication—featuring motion images and a voice captioned “AfriCare Health Center”—is inaccurate, misleading, and damaging to his reputation.
Falana argues that the video constitutes an unlawful breach of his privacy, as guaranteed by Section 37 of the Nigerian Constitution.
Falana is requesting the court to issue a declaration that the continued publication of his name, images, and the video under the caption “AfriCare Health Centre” on Meta’s platform constitutes an invasion of his privacy.
He also seeks an order for the immediate removal of the video and the deletion of the content from Meta’s platform.
In addition to these requests, Falana is seeking $5 million in general damages and any other relief the court deems fit. He claims the video has significantly damaged his image, causing emotional and psychological distress.
According to Falana, the publication of this false information about his health has been offensive, disturbing, and damaging to his personal and professional reputation, which he has worked to build over the years.
Falana further argues that as a respected human rights lawyer, he is entitled to the fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution. He claims the false publication infringed upon this right, leading to unnecessary distress.
In his affidavit, Falana highlights his long-standing commitment to human rights, particularly in defending freedom of expression and fighting against government actions that infringe upon citizens’ rights. He claims that on January 16, 2025, he discovered a video posted by Meta on the “AfriCare Health Centre” page, in which an individual falsely claims to be him, describing his supposed battle with Prostatitis.
Falana asserts that this video, which carries his name and image, is completely fabricated and has never been associated with him.
Falana stresses that he has never had any interactions with Meta regarding his health, nor has he ever been diagnosed with Prostatitis. He further condemns the video for spreading false and misleading information about him to millions of viewers worldwide, as Meta’s platform has a global reach.
Although he does not view the video as libelous, Falana maintains that its content is reckless, harmful, and an unjustifiable invasion of his privacy.
He believes Meta published the video to drive traffic to its platform and boost advertising revenue, without verifying the claims, and disregarded the emotional distress the publication would cause him.
The lawyer requests that the court take action to rectify this harm and protect his privacy from further violation.
