Syrian refugee sues Facebook for spreading fake news
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A Syrian refugee in Germany, falsely reported in a Facebook post as having set fire to a man in Berlin, is suing the company for spreading the claims.
Anas Modamani became known on social media after taking a selfie with Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2015.
Over Christmas, a post on Facebook falsely stated Mr Modamani was involved in the attack on the homeless man in a Berlin underground station.
Mr Modamani’s lawyer, Chan-Jo Jun, said Facebook refused to remove the post because it does not breach community standards.
A court in Würzburg in northern Bavaria is now due to hear the case against the social media giant for spreading false claims, The Irish Times reports.
Mr Jun said: “Anas Modamani is fighting back based on his personal rights, that no person is able to slander him or accuse him of crimes.
“For Facebook fake claims and insults are not a breach of community standards, but most certainly a breach of German law.”
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