Nollywood actress Adunni Ade has won a N30 million lawsuit against Google and Meta.
The case was over false online stories that linked her romantically to politician Dino Melaye. The court ruled in her favor after the stories were published and circulated widely without her consent.
Adunni Ade has been vocal about the damage fake news and clickbait can cause to reputations. This win is being celebrated as a big step for celebrities fighting misinformation online.
It also puts pressure on big tech platforms like Google and Meta to do more to flag and remove defamatory content.
The case, filed in July 2024, challenged two reports published on Google and YouTube. One falsely claimed Dino Melaye used a fake Patek Philippe watch to woo the actress, while the other listed her among celebrities allegedly linked to him. Adunni argued that the publications unlawfully used her name and image, violated her privacy, and portrayed her in a false light.
In its judgment, the court held that the reports breached the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and her constitutional right to privacy under Section 37 of the Constitution. It awarded her N30 million in general damages and ordered Google and Meta to remove the offending publications from their platforms.
