British Businessman Wins Libel Case Over False Facebook Profile

In a test case the managing director of Applause Store Productions, Mathew Firsht, won a libel case last Thursday at High Court in London over false claims posted about him on Facebook. According to The Guardian, here's the facts of the case:

After Grant Raphael had a row with his old school friend Mathew Firsht, he wanted revenge. He disseminated a web of lies via Facebook, to cause Firsht stress and humiliation.

Yesterday Raphael was ordered by the high court in London to pay £22,000 damages to Firsht, after the freelance television cameraman created fake, malicious entries about the businessman.

Confidential details about Firsht's whereabouts, activities and birthday were "laid bare" on the social networking website for 16 days after Raphael posted the false profiles.

Firsht, managing director of Applause Store Productions, had his sexual orientation and political views misrepresented by Raphael, who also created a company profile called "Has Mathew Firsht lied to you?", from a computer at the flat where Raphael was living in Hampstead, north-west London, in June last year.

The UK court awarded Firsht £15,000 (about $30,000) and his television company, Applause Store Productions, £5,000 ($10,000) in libel damages. [JH]