Key Points
- A criminal case brought by mining magnate Andrew Forrest against Facebook’s parent company has been discontinued.
- Forrest accused the social media giant of failing to remove fraudulent ads bearing his likeness from the platform.
- Meta had entered pleas of not guilty to the charges after initially saying it had no case to answer in Australia.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions was expected to take over the fight in the WA District Court on Friday, because a private citizen cannot prosecute charges on indictment. But it instead filed a discontinuance notice ending the matter.
“In this case, the Australian legal system was incapable of holding Meta to account for flagrant conduct that causes significant harm to Australian citizens.”
Twiggy pledges to continue battle
“Meta hides behind the lie that it does not do business in Australia, hiding behind a US entity.”
Andrew Forrest said Facebook had “blatantly” refused to take down fraudulent ads on the platform featuring his likeness. Source: AAP / James Ross
When Forrest launched the case in 2022 it was the first time Meta had been prosecuted with criminal charges — three counts of recklessly dealing with proceeds of crime to the value of $1,000 or more — related to its social media platform.
Forrest has said Meta “blatantly” refused to remove thousands of fraudulent scam ads on its platforms despite repeated requests.
Meta had entered pleas of not guilty to the charges after initially saying it had no case to answer in Australia.
Civil case to be heard in the US
If successful, it could force Meta to be more accountable for fraudulent content on its platforms in Australia and globally.
Tyler Mitchell