A prominent Polish billionaire known as “Locker King” said he was considering taking legal action against Meta for allowing the spread of “deepfake” advertisements depicting him and his wife.
Earlier this month, Poland’s Personal Data Protection Agency issued an order banning Meta for three months from publishing fake ads using real details and images of business owner Rafal Brzoska and his wife, local journalist and TV presenter Omena Mensa.
Brzoska, who made an estimated $1 billion fortune as founder and CEO of package storage and delivery company Inpost, suggested the decision was likely just the beginning of a campaign to hold Facebook and Instagram’s parent companies accountable.
“This is going to be a long battle and I want to know how much revenue is being generated from fraudulent deepfake advertising,” Brzoska said. Interview with Bloomberg.
According to a press release from the Polish Personal Data Protection Agency, Brzoska and Mensa identified “as many as 263 ads” in their complaint to the Polish Personal Data Protection Agency. Meta was first informed of the issue on July 4.
The complaint was referred to the Irish Data Protection Commission, which acts as Meta’s European regulator and has repeatedly cracked down on the social media giant over its data practices in recent years.
“False information has been spread on Facebook about the journalist’s death, that she was beaten by her husband or that she was sent to prison,” Poland’s data protection agency said.
The Post has contacted Meta and the Irish Data Protection Commission for comment.
Brzoska told Reuters. He and his wife plan to file a separate lawsuit against Mehta, with jurisdiction to be “determined in the coming weeks.”
“We are considering all scenarios, including filing a lawsuit in the United States if action is not taken in Europe,” Brzoska added.
Meta said in a statement last week that it was reviewing Poland’s three-month ban.
“Scammers use every platform to trick people and are constantly adapting to avoid getting caught. Scam content violates our rules and we remove it when we find it,” a Meta spokesperson said at the time.
“We also partner with businesses, local governments and law enforcement to take down these criminals.”
The controversy is the latest sign of growing scrutiny over the rise of AI-generated “deepfake” images on Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms.
Meta’s oversight board said in April it was investigating the company’s handling of two AI-generated pornographic images involving unnamed “famous U.S. figures” that were distributed on the app.
This comes after a fake Taylor Swift nudge image went viral on social media earlier this year, sparking calls from lawmakers for new laws to protect users.
