Facebook must remove fake Bitcoin ads featuring Big Brother creator or pay $1.2M

The billionaire creator of Big Brother, John de Mol, has successfully sued Facebook.

A Dutch court has ordered the social media giant to remove advertisements that feature his likeness to promote fraudulent Bitcoin BTC investments, Reuters reports.

Facebook must take down the fraudulent ads or reportedly face fines of up to €1.1 million ($1.2 million).

The social media giant reportedly argued that it’s simply a “neutral funnel for information” and cannot be obligated to act. Reuters noted the court said this was “not acceptable.”

“The company plays too active a role with respect to advertisements, which form its primary business model to argue that,” said the court, reportedly.

The court also highlighted that Facebook sets a pricing policy for ads, as well as policies for deciding on which advertisements are published on its platform.

In September, Hard Fork reported that negotiations between Facebook and de Mol had been ongoing for three months, amounting to basically nothing.

John de Mol’s legal team estimated that investors had lost €1.7 million ($1.88 million) due to the fraudulent ads.

Published November 11, 2019 — 18:49 UTC