RTE star Miriam O’Callaghan says that her legal action against the High Court put a strain on her family life.
The 62-year-old settled her case against Facebook, now known as Meta, after her name and image were used in fake ads found on the platform. Meta unreservedly apologised for the error and have since made it easier for Irish users to report misleading ads through a new online tool.
Miriam said that the court case caused her mother significant stress due to the cost of legal action. The broadcaster said her mother was terrified Miriam would lose her home as a result of the expensive fees.
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Miriam told RSVP Magazine: “My mother kept telling me I would lose my home. I tried everything to get the ads down, but my mum was coming out of Mass and people were saying they heard I left RTE to set up my own face cream. She phoned me to tell me that.”
The ads circulated for years on the Facebook platform, which forced Miriam to take action in the High Court. She also revealed that many people in similar scenarios came forward to tell her about the false use of their images online.
The star admits she didn’t take the legal action lightly but is thrilled that it had a positive outcome. She also praised Meta for their response to her dilemma, saying they “came up trumps” in the end.
Miriam also managed to see the funny side in the scam ads, joking that she could potentially enter the beauty sector following the publication of the false face cream ad.
She refused to name the other public figures who had been targeted by the scam online but added that the experience for herself was a “relentless” one as it carried on for years.
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