An Indiana lawyer who happens to share a name with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is suing the social media giant, claiming it repeatedly suspended his account while wrongly accusing him of impersonation.
Mark S. Zuckerberg, a bankruptcy attorney who has practised law for nearly four decades, alleges that Meta’s repeated actions have cost him thousands of dollars in lost business and damaged his reputation.
His lawsuit, filed in Marion Superior Court, argues that Meta breached its contract after removing advertising worth $11,000 (£8,200) that he had paid for.
“It’s like buying a billboard on the side of the highway, paying the people for the billboard and then they come and put a giant blanket over it and you don’t get the benefit of what you paid for,” he told WTHR-TV in Indianapolis.
The lawyer, who emphasises that his full name is Mark Steven Zuckerberg, says his account has been disabled five times over the past eight years.
He has repeatedly submitted photo ID, credit cards and images of his face to prove his identity. “I’m Mark Steven. And he’s Mark Elliot,” he said, referring to the billionaire Meta chief executive.
Meta confirmed that the attorney’s account was restored after the most recent suspension in May. In a statement, the company acknowledged the error: “We appreciate Mr Zuckerberg’s continued patience on this issue and are working to try and prevent this from happening in the future.”
Zuckerberg has launched a website documenting the confusion around his name, which once saw him mistakenly targeted in a lawsuit filed by the state of Washington. “It’s not funny,” he said. “Not when they take my money.”
The case highlights the complications faced by individuals caught in the shadow of globally recognised names.
