French Court Orders Meta to Block False Advertisements Linked to Barrière Group

Court Decision Overview

French justice has mandated Meta platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, to adopt effective measures to halt the spread of deceptive advertisements exploiting the Barrière brand. This directive follows a legal complaint lodged by the Barrière group in late November, targeting ads that falsely associated with their brand to promote illegal online gaming.

Initial and Subsequent Rulings

Initially, in January, the Paris court required Meta to set up filters to prevent these misleading ads. Meta challenged this ruling, claiming it wasn't obligated to supervise content broadly as a host. However, a subsequent decision on Wednesday reaffirmed the need for Meta to actively prevent these ads across the EU.

Extent of Advertisement Reach and Meta's Compliance

The fraudulent ads have reportedly reached over 80 million views in France alone. The Barrière group criticized Meta for not taking sufficient action compared to other digital entities. The court has also issued an interim order for Meta to preserve detailed information about the accounts linked to these ads for twelve months.

Financial Penalty and Legal Implications

Meta is ordered to compensate the Barrière group with 10,000 euros. Although the court denied the request for a penalty linked to the filtering measures, the decision is seen as a significant move towards proactive filtering based on intellectual property rights. This could set a precedent affecting Meta's operations across Europe.

Responses and Future Expectations

Alexandre Barrière, co-president of the Barrière group, expressed approval of the decision, highlighting it as a reminder that digital platforms are not beyond legal accountability. He emphasized the broader impact of such fraudulent activities on European businesses and expressed a commitment to pursuing further necessary actions to protect the group's interests.