A Lagos State High Court has ordered Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, to pay $25,000 in damages to Nigerian human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) after the social media platform falsely portrayed him as suffering from a terminal illness.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, rejected Meta’s claim that it was merely acting as a “hosting” or “intermediary” platform. The court held that because Meta monetizes content, it has a duty of care to individuals affected by material posted on its platform, and that harm from misinformation is reasonably foreseeable.
Olumide Babalola, convener of PrivCon Nigeria and co-author of the Casebook on Privacy and Data Protection Law in Nigeria, represented Falana and shared the ruling on LinkedIn. He said the case arose after a video posted on Facebook in early 2025 falsely suggested Falana had a serious health condition.
Babalola explained, “The court affirmed that global technology companies hosting content for commercial gain owe a duty of care to persons affected by content. It rejected Meta’s argument that it could escape liability as an intermediary, particularly when the harm from misinformation is foreseeable.”
He also noted that being a public figure does not strip an individual of their right to privacy. “The publication of false medical information was found to intrude on the claimant’s private life. This decision reinforces that health data is entitled to strong protection under Nigerian law, even for public figures,” Babalola said.
Background
Falana filed the lawsuit on February 9, 2025, seeking $5 million in damages, claiming that a Facebook video titled “AfriCare Health Centre” invaded his privacy. The video allegedly suggested he suffered from prostatitis, which he said was false, misleading, and damaging to his reputation.
In court filings, Falana stated that Meta published his name, image, and fabricated health information without verification, exposing him to millions of viewers. He said the content was posted recklessly to generate traffic and advertising revenue, and he requested that it be immediately removed from Facebook.
The court agreed that the publication intruded on Falana’s private life, caused emotional and psychological distress, and portrayed him falsely. The ruling establishes a clear precedent for platform accountability in Nigeria, reinforcing that digital companies cannot evade responsibility for harmful content, even involving public figures.
