Suit Says Facebook Violates NY Law When Minors 'Like' Products Without Parents' OK
A federal lawsuit filed today in Brooklyn, N.Y., contends Facebook Inc. is violating state advertising law by allowing minors to “like” products on the social networking site without getting parental permission.
The action seeks damages under a state civil rights law that bans using an individual’s likeness for advertising purposes without permission, Bloomberg reports.
“Users can prevent their endorsements from being shared with their friends by limiting who can see their posts through their privacy settings,” the complaint explains. “There is, however, no mechanism in place by which a user can prevent their name and likeness from appearing on a Facebook page if they have ‘liked’ it.”
A Facebook spokesman declined to comment, saying that the company hasn’t yet seen the suit. It seeks class-action status.
