An Indiana-based lawyer named Mark Stephen Zuckerberg has filed a lawsuit against Facebook, alleging that the social network repeatedly disabled his account for “impersonating” the company’s billionaire founder.

 

Mr Zuckerberg, a bankruptcy attorney who has practised law for 38 years, says he has spent more than $11,000 on Facebook adverts to promote his law practice. Despite this investment, his business and personal pages have frequently been removed, sometimes taking months to restore, leading to financial losses and reputational damage.

 

The lawyer claims that sharing a name with Meta’s CEO has upended his life. He says he has endured de@th threats, incessant tech support calls, over 100 unsolicited friend requests daily, and even mistaken identity in lawsuits. In one case, a limousine driver holding a sign with his name in Las Vegas was surrounded by fans who thought the Meta boss was arriving.

 

“It’s not funny,” Mr Zuckerberg told local station WTHR. “Not when they take my money. I’d rather not pick a fight with them, but I don’t know how else to get their attention.”

 

He argues that the company’s repeated account removals violate “fair dealing” laws and is seeking damages and legal fees.

 

Reacting to the suit, a Meta spokesperson said: “We know there’s more than one Mark Zuckerberg in the world, and we are getting to the bottom of this.”

 

Despite his frustration, the lawyer joked that a personal gesture from his famous namesake could settle the matter: “If he let me spend a week on his boat to say I’m sorry, I’d probably take him up on that.”