A UK businessman has won a libel case and $44,000 in damages at London’s High Court after false allegations were made about him on Facebook.
Mathew Firsht sued a former friend for creating a bogus profile on the site that featured personal information about him and untrue claims about his sexual orientation.
Firsht said Grant Raphael had created the profile on Facebook under the heading “Has Mathew Firsht lied to you?”
The Facebook profile falsely claimed that Firsht was a member of other groups, including “Gay in the WoodBorehamwood” and “Gay Jews in London.” The profile was on the site for 16 days until it was discovered by Firsht’s brother and taken down.
Raphael maintained that the profile was created on a computer at his home without his knowledge by someone who was at a party there.
Deputy Judge Richard Parkes awarded Firsht $30,000 for his television company Applause Store Productions and $10,00 for libel damages. He also received $4,000 for breach of privacy.
The two former friends attended school together but had a disagreement over a business dispute about six years ago.
Firsht claimed Raphael held a grudge against him and created the fake Facebook profile to cause him anxiety and embarrassment.
“He is plainly a businessman of single-minded drive and dedication, and he did not strike me as being the kind of man to waste valuable time on ancient disputes,” the judge said of Firsht.
