A US attorney who shares the same name as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has taken legal action against the social media platform, accusing it of wrongfully suspending his account multiple times on claims that he was “impersonating a celebrity.”
Mark S. Zuckerberg, a bankruptcy lawyer from Indiana, says his account has been disabled five times in the past eight years, costing him thousands of dollars in lost business opportunities. He has been practicing law for nearly four decades, long before Meta’s CEO, Mark E. Zuckerberg, became a household name.
According to his lawsuit filed in Marion Superior Court, Facebook’s parent company Meta violated its contract with him after removing $11,000 (£8,200) worth of advertising he had already paid for. He likened the experience to paying for a highway billboard only to have it covered up.
“It’s not funny, especially when they take my money,” he told WTHR-TV in Indianapolis.
Mr. Zuckerberg said he has repeatedly submitted identification documents, credit card details, and personal photos to prove his authenticity. “I’m Mark Steven, and he’s Mark Elliot,” he emphasized.
His account was shut down again in May but reinstated after his lawsuit was filed. Meta has since admitted the suspension was an error, saying: “We reinstated Mark Zuckerberg’s account and are working to ensure this does not happen again.”
The attorney, who specializes in bankruptcy cases, has even set up a website documenting past mix-ups over his name including a case where he was mistakenly sued by the state of Washington.
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