Martin Lewis sues Facebook over 'fake' finance ads

MoneySavingExpert.com founder and Good Morning Britain presenter Martin Lewis is ramping up his fight against companies who have used his image to endorse their products, by suing Facebook for sanctioning over 50 ads which he insists have caused him reputational damage.
Last October, the Advertising Standards Authority banned two ads – for PPI claims company Civil Claim Services and money advice firm Sterling Partnership – after Lewis complained that the companies did not have permission to use his image.
At the time, Lewis claimed that the ads misleadingly implied he had endorsed the products.
But now he is taking on the might of Facebook, with papers due to be lodged at the High Court today, which claim that scores of ads bearing his name have appeared on the social media platform, causing him reputational damage.
Like the two ads banned by the ASA, many of the ads show Lewis’ face alongside endorsements that he has not actually made, and often link to articles carrying false information. Although he is seeking damages, Lewis has vowed to give any money he receives to anti-scam charities.
Facebook, however, has hit back, claiming misleading ads are not allowed and any reported are taken down. In a statement, the social media giant said: “We do not allow adverts which are misleading or false on Facebook and have explained to Martin Lewis that he should report any adverts that infringe his rights, and they will be removed.
“We are in direct contact with his team, offering to help and promptly investigating their requests, and only last week confirmed that several adverts and accounts that violated our advertising policies had been taken down.”