Judge Dismisses Huckabee's Lawsuit Against Meta Over Fake CBD Gummy Ads

Source: Newsweek

Published Nov 18, 2024 at 4:36 PM EST | Updated Nov 18, 2024 at 9:36 PM EST


A federal judge in Delaware has dismissed former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's lawsuit on Monday against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, over CBD product advertisements using his name and image.

What Is the Lawsuit?

The ruling, handed down on Monday in Delaware, dismisses a lawsuit against Meta over advertisements using Huckabee's name and image to sell CBD products. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one the main active ingredients in marijuana but does not, by itself, provide the high caused by psychoactive THC.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister and President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Israel, accused Meta of allowing and profiting from the ads, which he says falsely portrayed him as endorsing CBD gummies. However, Meta argued that it was immune from liability under Section 230 of the Federal Communication Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability for third-party content and the rights of individuals whose names or likenesses are used without permission.

What Did the Judge Rule?

U.S. District Judge Gregory Williams rejected that claim. However, he found Huckabee's claims lacking for invasion of privacy, unjust enrichment and violation of Arkansas' Publicity Protection Act. The judge, meanwhile, did agree with Huckabee that, in collecting user data and using algorithms to determine which posts and advertisements appeared at the top of users' newsfeeds, Meta was an "information content provider" that was not immune from liability for the illegitimate ads. However, Williams ruled that Huckabee failed to prove Meta knowingly allowed the fraudulent ads to circulate or acted with "actual malice."

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/judge-dismisses-mike-huckabees-lawsuit-against-meta-over-fake-cbd-gummy-ads-1987825