Lawyer with the same name as Zuckerberg sues Facebook over account shutdowns

New Delhi: An Indiana-based bankruptcy attorney, Mark S. Zuckerberg, has filed a lawsuit against Facebook, claiming the platform repeatedly suspended his account while incorrectly alleging he was impersonating a celebrity, according to a BBC News report.

Zuckerberg says his account has been disabled five times over the past eight years, resulting in thousands of dollars in lost business. “It's not funny,” he told WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, Indiana. “Not when they take my money.”

The lawsuit, filed in Marion Superior Court, contends that Facebook’s parent company Meta breached its contract after taking down advertising valued at $11,000 (£8,200). “It's like buying a billboard on the side of the highway, paying the people for the billboard and then they come and put a giant blanket over it and you don't get the benefit of what you paid for,” Zuckerberg said.

Emails shared with local media indicate that Facebook had questioned whether he was using his “authentic name.” Zuckerberg said he submitted his photo ID, credit cards, and multiple images of his face to verify his identity. “I'm Mark Steven. And he's Mark Elliot,” he told WTHR.

The account was reportedly shut down in May and only restored after the lawsuit was filed. Meta stated that it had “reinstated Mark Zuckerberg's account, after finding it had been disabled in error” and added, “We appreciate Mr Zuckerberg's continued patience on this issue and are working to try and prevent this from happening in the future.”