September Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Poll: The ‘Frivolous Facebook Lawsuits’ Edition
Most users of Facebook, the online social networking service, are familiar with the ubiquitous “like” button, which allows users to publicize their approval of a friend’s status message, a certain musician, a movie, a commercial product, or anything else that has a Facebook presence (which is just about everything).
To the vast majority of Facebook users, the “like” button is harmless fun that allows them to communicate their likes and interests to their friends and other members of the Facebook community. But not to some trial lawyers in California. They’ve filed a lawsuit alleging that the “like” button leads to illegal commercial exploitation of children and are seeking damages for all Facebook users in California under the age of 18.
This suit is another unfortunate example of trial lawyers using the legal system in an attempt to restrict legitimate individual choices. I doubt that the average Facebook user would consider their “liking” of a product to be “exploitive.” They simply want to let their friends know that they like a product. Also, Facebook severely restricts public accessibility to profile information for users under age 18. And if parents don’t like what their kids are doing on Facebook, they can always say “No Facebook for you!”
This lawsuit is one of the contenders for this month’s Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Poll. Here are the others:
- Man in property dispute sues for $38 quadrillion, despite only $24 trillion in circulation worldwide
- Addicted gamer who is “unable to function” sues video game maker
- Girl sues estate of pregnant woman she killed during suicide attempt
- “Anti-feminist” lawyer sues nightclubs for gender discrimination on “Ladies’ Nights”
Go to FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org and cast your vote today. And while you’re at it, check out last month’s Most Ridiculous Lawsuit winner: Burglar sues men who captured him, claiming rough citizen’s arrest.
