B.C. court allows class-action lawsuit against Facebook to expand
VANCOUVER — A class-action lawsuit launched against Facebook by a British Columbia woman is allowed to include to residents of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador who claim their images were used without their knowledge.
Deborah Douez claims the social media giant used her image and those of others without their knowledge in the “sponsored stories” advertising program that is no longer in operation.
Facebook Inc. fought the certification of the class action all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada and lost and now a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that Douez can expand the certification to include residents of other provinces who were unknowingly featured in the promotion.
Justice Nitya Iyer also agreed with Douez that Facebook is obligated to pay any profits that it made from the unauthorized use of the class members’ names or portraits.