Tokyo court rejects Maezawa's Meta scam-ad claims, broadcaster reports

The ruling recognized an infringement of his image rights but did not hold the platform responsible for failing to remove the advertisements.

Channel: Nippon TV News ·

JapanStory of November 13, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? One of 日テレNEWS's most watched videos since yesterday, with 136,958 views.

日テレNEWS: The news division of Nippon TV, a Japanese commercial television network. 3.4M subscribers and 6.4B views.

【裁判】｢詐欺広告｣めぐりメタ社など訴え前澤氏側の請求を棄却…東京地裁専門家“チェック義務課すことは難しい”

What did you think?

2 more stories on Meta ›

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

0:15Examples show Maezawa's name and photograph used without permission in fraudulent investment advertisements.
0:36Maezawa sought one yen in damages and an injunction, aiming to establish the legality of the companies' conduct.
2:26The report says the court recognized image-rights infringement but rejected liability for Meta's failure to remove the ads.
3:26Meta welcomes the ruling and says it will continue addressing fraudulent ads and protecting users.
3:40Lawyer Masaki Kamei describes difficulties imposing advance checks and points to legislation or guidelines.
4:22The report closes with Maezawa's lawyers considering an appeal.

Advertisements used Yusaku Maezawa's face and name without permission, but that did not make Meta legally responsible for leaving them online: that is the distinction at the center of a Tokyo District Court ruling reported by Japan's Nippon Television News (日テレNEWS).

The November 10 report says the court dismissed the entrepreneur's claims against Meta and others over fraudulent investment advertisements impersonating him. Maezawa, founder of the online fashion retailer Zozotown, had sought one yen in damages and an injunction against the ads.

The nominal damages reflected his stated purpose. In footage included in the report, Maezawa explains that he wanted clarity about whether the companies' conduct was lawful, rather than money. He also describes his anger that the advertisements were increasing instead of disappearing.

The report shows examples using his photograph and name to promote supposed free investment classes. Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, contested the lawsuit, arguing that the legal basis for the claims was unclear.

According to the broadcaster's account of the judgment, the court recognized that the advertisements infringed Maezawa's image rights. However, it found that Meta could not be said to have knowingly left these particular advertisements online after becoming aware of their posting, and therefore could not be held responsible for failing to delete them.

Afterward, Maezawa's lawyer warned that difficulty obtaining relief through the courts could leave people feeling they had no choice but to accept the harm. Meta said it welcomed the ruling and would continue tackling fraudulent advertisements and protecting users.

Masaki Kamei, a lawyer and former Osaka prosecutor, explains in the segment that imposing a duty on platforms to check advertisements in advance is difficult. He points to legislation or guidelines as possible ways forward. At the time of the broadcast, Maezawa's lawyers were considering an appeal.

Published on Trari

Most watched today ›