Indiana attorney Zuckerberg sues Meta over accusations he’s impersonating Facebook founder

Indianapolis bankruptcy lawyer Mark Zuckerberg stays at the office each day until every phone call has been returned. But when he gets free time, he plays the drums and is a beekeeper. (IL Photo/Marilyn Odendahl)

Indianapolis bankruptcy attorney Mark Zuckerberg is suing Meta for repeatedly shutting down his Facebook pages and claiming he impersonated the Facebook founder who shares his name.

Indiana’s Zuckerberg has been an attorney for over 38 years, charting his path in Indiana’s legal field well before the other Zuckerberg established his social media empire.

On Tuesday, CohenMalad LLP filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Marion Superior Court on behalf of the bankruptcy attorney, accusing Facebook’s parent company Meta of negligence and breach of contract for continuously deactivating or suspending his social media accounts for unjust and improper reasons.

The firm is seeking an injunction to keep Meta from shutting down Zuckerberg’s accounts once again. Meta did not immediately respond to The Indiana Lawyer’s request for comment.

Zuckerberg said his business page was shut down by Meta in May under the claim that he was using a fake name and impersonating a celebrity. It isn’t the first time it’s happened, he said.

According to Zuckerberg, this is actually the ninth time either his professional or personal account has been shut down for allegedly impersonating the Meta CEO.

Emails on Zuckerberg’s website show that the attorney has been in communication with the company several times to get his accounts turned back on. Despite his account being marked verified, the deactivations keep happening, the bankruptcy attorney said.

Zuckerberg said his law firm relies on social media websites like Facebook to help his services reach clients. He’s spent thousands of dollars in advertisements on the site, only for his information to get shut out.

“Right after they take my money, they shut my account down,” he said.

In addition to his Facebook accounts being interfered with, Zuckerberg said various other aspects of his life and business have been negatively impacted.

When his account was suspended in 2011, Zuckerberg made national and international headlines for sharing a name with the Facebook creator.

Back in 2020, he was mistakenly sued by the State of Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services for alleged financial exploitation under the Abuse of Vulnerable Adults Law.

And when a scam promised money from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Indiana’s Zuckerberg was inundated with calls to cash in on the prize.

He said his firm’s secretary is constantly fielding calls from Facebook users complaining about issues with their accounts.

Now in month three without his professional account, Zuckerberg is asking Meta to correct the situation so he can get on with his work.

He said Facebook should be sophisticated enough to be able to keep his account online.

The case is Mark S. Zuckerberg, Bankruptcy Law Office of Mark S. Zuckerberg, P.C. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. f/k/a Facebook, Inc., 49D06-2509-PL-041410.