Syrian refugee sues Facebook over fake news linking him to terrorism

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian refugee Anas Modamani took a selfie with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as he was starting a new life in Berlin. The photo subsequently came to cause Modamani no end of grief -- fake news stories on terrorism have routinely used the photo he took, falsely connecting him to horrible attacks. And he doesn't think enough is being done to stop it. Modamani is suing Facebook to have it delete all fake news stories using his image. He did have success getting Facebook to take down some stories beforehand, but he says it hasn't been enough -- Facebook would frequently say that a photo met its standards, Engadget reports.

Facebook, not surprisingly, says it doesn't believe the lawsuit is "necessary" or "the most effective way" of addressing the problem. It maintains that it shut off access to any photos of Modamani that have been "accurately reported," and that it honors German law.

The suit could influence how Facebook handles bogus stories. It's already increasing its efforts to fight fake news, including a filtering trial in Germany, but a victory for Modamani could put pressure on the social network to take a more aggressive approach. German politicians have already proposed a law that would fine companies that don't remove fake news stories -- this would only increase the pressure to remove stories when asked.