 |
| Image:X |
Nollywood actress Adunni Ade has secured a major legal victory after a Lagos High Court awarded her ₦30 million in damages in a case against Google LLC over reports that falsely linked her romantically to former Kogi West senator Dino Melaye.
The court also ordered the technology company to remove the disputed content from its search engine and YouTube platform and directed that an apology be issued to the actress.
The lawsuit stemmed from publications that associated Adunni with Melaye, using her name and image in stories that suggested they had been romantically involved. The actress maintained that the reports were false and had damaged her reputation.
In her suit, Adunni, whose full name is Adunni Adewale, argued that the publications violated her constitutional right to privacy and breached the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. She contended that her personal information was processed and circulated without fairness, accuracy or proper verification.
After reviewing the evidence before it, the court ruled in her favour, holding that Google, as the controller of the information displayed on its platforms, failed in its responsibility to ensure that the content associated with the actress was accurate and not misleading.
One of the notable aspects of the case was Google's absence throughout the proceedings. Despite being served court processes electronically after receiving the court's approval, the company neither entered an appearance nor filed a defence. It also failed to send legal representatives to challenge the claims made against it.
The case initially included Meta Platforms as a second respondent. However, the company was removed from the suit after successfully raising a preliminary objection earlier in the proceedings, leaving Google as the sole defendant.
Although Adunni originally sought ₦100 million in compensation for the alleged damage to her reputation and privacy, the court awarded ₦30 million in general damages.
In addition to the monetary award, the judge ordered that the offending publications be removed from Google's services and that an apology be issued.
The judgment has attracted significant attention within Nigeria's entertainment industry, with many observers viewing it as an important decision on online privacy, digital responsibility and the accountability of global technology companies operating in the country.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Adunni Ade nor Google had released an official public statement reacting to the court's decision.
The ruling nevertheless marks a significant legal milestone and reinforces the growing importance of protecting individuals against the spread of false and misleading information in the digital space.
#ViralContent
#ExclusiveUpdate
No comments:
Post a Comment