Indiana Lawyer Named Mark Zuckerberg Sues Meta After Being Accused of Impersonating CEO
Bankruptcy attorney says his Facebook account was suspended and his name routinely confused with the company’s CEO, prompting legal action against Meta
An Indiana bankruptcy lawyer who shares his name with Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Elliot Zuckerberg sued the company after Facebook accused him of impersonating the social media executive and suspended his account, the attorney said.
Mark S. Zuckerberg, who uses the middle initial to distinguish himself from Meta’s founder, said he filed the lawsuit on Tuesday and spoke to local station 13WTHR on Wednesday about the personal and professional disruptions caused by the confusion. “I’m Mark Steven. And he’s Mark Elliot,” he told the news outlet.
On a website he operates, iammarkzuckerberg.com, the Indiana lawyer described an array of problems he says stem from sharing the name with the high-profile tech executive. He said he receives more than 100 friend requests daily from people who confuse him with the CEO and that he has been sent packages, letters, complaints, suggestions and demands on how to "improve Facebook." He wrote that he cannot reliably use his name when making reservations or conducting business because people assume he is a prank caller and hang up.
Zuckerberg told the local station that he had spent thousands of dollars promoting his legal practice on Facebook before the suspension. He said the platform flagged his account for impersonation of the CEO, a charge he denies. The attorney did not disclose the specific legal claims in the lawsuit in the interview.
Meta has in the past said it enforces impersonation policies to protect public figures and private individuals alike, removing accounts that pose as others or create confusion. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit and the account suspension.
The dispute highlights the challenges social media platforms face when automated and manual enforcement measures intersect with common names and public figures. Errors in account moderation have prompted users and advocates to criticize platforms for overreach or insufficient appeal processes, while companies maintain such measures are necessary to prevent fraud and protect user safety.
Legal filings and the outcome of the Indiana lawyer’s suit may provide additional detail about the basis for his claims and Meta’s reasoning for the suspension. For now, Mark S. Zuckerberg says the conflation of his identity with Meta’s CEO has had tangible effects on his practice and personal life, and he has turned to the courts to seek redress.