On November 10, 2026, the Tokyo District Court dismissed entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa's lawsuit against Meta Platforms and its Japanese unit over fake investment ads that used his name and photo. The court agreed the ads infringed his publicity and portrait rights, but said Meta was a platform operator not directly involved in posting them. Jiji Press reports it is believed to be the first court decision on whether celebrity-impersonation ads infringe those rights.
What the court decided
Presiding Judge Naoyuki Iwai rejected both of Maezawa's requests: an injunction and damages. Maezawa, founder of Japan's largest online clothing retailer, filed the case in 2024 and asked for only one yen in damages, saying he wanted the legality of Meta's conduct clarified.
The court accepted that the scam ads infringed his publicity rights, which protect the commercial value of a celebrity's identity. On the injunction, it found no risk the ads would be left unaddressed, given corrective measures Meta had already taken. On liability, it described Meta as merely a platform operator that was not directly involved in posting the ads.
Meta's argument and the plaintiff's reaction
According to NHK, cited by AFP, Meta argued that unidentified people placed the ads and that it had no duty to constantly monitor content for rights-infringing material. Neither side could be reached for comment after the ruling, AFP said.
Maezawa's lawyer told reporters that scam ads using Maezawa's image have not decreased and that the team still finds many of them. The lawyer also worried the outcome could discourage other victims from going to court. The reports we read do not say whether an appeal will be filed.
- One ad cited in coverage claimed 10,000 yen could grow to 1.3 million yen in four days
- In October, the Yokohama District Court dismissed a separate damages suit against Meta over similar fake celebrity ads
Why it matters for advertisers
For now, Japanese courts are not putting the cost of celebrity-bait scams on Meta itself. That keeps the pressure on Meta's own enforcement systems instead of court orders, and enforcement is exactly what legitimate advertisers feel: automated reviews of ads that use faces, testimonials or investment-style claims, plus advertiser verification checks in markets where scams are common.
If you run finance, crypto-adjacent, e-commerce or info-product offers aimed at Japan or wider Asia, expect strict scrutiny of any creative that looks like an endorsement, even when it is a real customer or a licensed spokesperson.
What to do
Keep written proof of permission for every real person who appears in your ads, and avoid layouts that copy the news-article or celebrity-quote style that scammers use. If an account gets restricted over a false positive, appeal with documentation rather than relaunching the same creative. Power Ads' 24/7 operator can help you swap in a replacement agency account while an appeal is pending, but the creative itself still has to pass review.
What it means for you
- Japanese courts have so far declined to hold Meta liable for fake celebrity ads
- Expect continued tight review of endorsement-style and investment-claim creatives in Japan
- Store signed likeness and testimonial permissions for every face you use
- Don't mimic news layouts or celebrity quotes; they match scam patterns
Sources
- Tokyo Court Dismisses Suit against Meta over Fake Ads (Jiji Press via Nippon.com)
- Japan court dismisses suit against Meta over celebrity investment scams (AFP via The Star)
- Japan court dismisses suit against Meta over scam ads using billionaire's likeness (Malay Mail)
