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24/07/2008
Businessman Wins Facebook Libel Case
A businessman has been awarded damages after his personal details were disclosed on social networking website Facebook.
Matthew Firsht was awarded £22,000 in damages against former school friend, Grant Raphael, who created the profile.
The profile was on Facebook for 16 days before it was taken down.
Deputy Judge Richard Parkes QC awarded Mr Firsht £15,000 for libel and £2,000 for breach of privacy.
The judge rejected Raphael's claim that the entry was created by mischievous party gate-crashers at his flat.
It is understood Mr Firsht's brother spotted the profile.
Mr Firsht is the Managing Director of Applause Store Productions Ltd, which finds audiences for TV and radio shows and provides 'warm-up' services for live audience, including the evictions on Big Brother.
The company has been awarded £5,000 for libel.
Mr Firsht complained about allegations that he owed "substantial sums of money" which he had "repeatedly avoided by lying" and that "he and his company" were "not to be trusted".
Mr Firsht's counsel, Lorna Skinner, told the court that the private information which was "laid bare" concerned his whereabouts, activities, relationship status and falsely indicated his sexual orientation and political views.
Facebook, launched in 2004, was founded by Mark Zuckerberg when he was a student at Harvard University.
The website has more than 80 million active users worldwide.
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Matthew Firsht was awarded £22,000 in damages against former school friend, Grant Raphael, who created the profile.
The profile was on Facebook for 16 days before it was taken down.
Deputy Judge Richard Parkes QC awarded Mr Firsht £15,000 for libel and £2,000 for breach of privacy.
The judge rejected Raphael's claim that the entry was created by mischievous party gate-crashers at his flat.
It is understood Mr Firsht's brother spotted the profile.
Mr Firsht is the Managing Director of Applause Store Productions Ltd, which finds audiences for TV and radio shows and provides 'warm-up' services for live audience, including the evictions on Big Brother.
The company has been awarded £5,000 for libel.
Mr Firsht complained about allegations that he owed "substantial sums of money" which he had "repeatedly avoided by lying" and that "he and his company" were "not to be trusted".
Mr Firsht's counsel, Lorna Skinner, told the court that the private information which was "laid bare" concerned his whereabouts, activities, relationship status and falsely indicated his sexual orientation and political views.
Facebook, launched in 2004, was founded by Mark Zuckerberg when he was a student at Harvard University.
The website has more than 80 million active users worldwide.
(DS)
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