Judge Dismisses Huckabee’s Lawsuit Against Meta Over Fake CBD Gummy Ads

A federal judge in Delaware on Monday dismissed a lawsuit filed against former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Metaparent company Facebook And instagramthrough CBD product advertisements using his name and image.

What is a lawsuit?

Monday’s ruling in Delaware dismissed a lawsuit against Meta over ads that used Huckabee’s name and image to sell CBD products. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the main active ingredients in marijuana, but it alone does not provide the high caused by the psychoactive THC.

Huckabee, a Baptist minister and president-elect Donald TrumpMeta, a candidate for U.S. ambassador to Israel, accused him of authorizing and profiting from the ads, saying the ads falsely portrayed him as an endorser of CBD gummies.

But Meta argued that it was immune from liability under Section 230 of the Federal Communications Decency Act, which protects online platforms from third-party content and the rights of people whose names or likenesses are used without permission.

What Did the Judge Decide?

U.S. District Judge Gregory Williams rejected that argument. But he found Huckabee’s claims to be incomplete for invasion of privacy, unjust enrichment and violation of Arkansas’ Publicity Protection Act.

The judge, meanwhile, agreed with Huckabee that Meta, while collecting user data and using algorithms to determine which posts and ads appear at the top of users’ news feeds, is an “informational content provider” that is not exempt from liability for illegitimate content. ads.

But Williams ruled that Huckabee failed to prove that Meta knowingly allowed the fake ads to spread or acted with “actual malice.”

“Since Governor Huckabee has publicly condemned marijuana, it is not reasonable to infer that Meta had serious doubts about the alleged advertisements,” the judge wrote. “There is no allegation that Meta was required to conduct ‘due diligence’ as to the authenticity of the alleged advertisements. Even if it had, such a requirement would not have been sufficient to infer malicious intent.”

Huckabee has not yet commented on whether he will appeal the decision.

Huckabee’s Nomination

The dismissed case came just days after the former governor was impeached He was nominated by Trump to be the US ambassador to Israel.

Huckabee is a staunch defender of Israel, and his intended nomination comes as Trump has vowed to align US foreign policy, which is waging multi-front wars against Iran-backed Israel, closer to Israel’s interests. Hamas and Hezbollah militant groups.

“I am pleased to announce the nomination of the Honorable former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee as the United States Ambassador to Israel,” Trump said in his statement.

He continued, “Mike has been a great public servant, Governor, and Faith Leader for many years. He loves Israel and the people of Israel, and the people of Israel love him as well. Mike will work tirelessly to achieve Peace in the Middle East!”

The former governor had never held a diplomatic mission before. His candidacy will be almost a certainty Senate This approval comes as Trump faces pressure to end the wars in the Middle East as he has promised.

This article contains news from the Associated Press.