Middle Georgia auto dealer sues Facebook for cutting off access to social media account

A Middle Georgia used-automobile dealership filed a lawsuit against Facebook’s parent company Meta in federal court last week, claiming the social media giant inexplicably cut off access to its account, hindering sales.

In the lawsuit, filed Oct. 5 in U.S. District Court in Macon, Putnam County-based Georgia Auto Group LLC seeks unspecified damages for alleged negligence and breach of contract.

Jesse Smith, who is “managing member” of the car sales company which has a lot near Lake Oconee, alleges negligence on the part of Facebook, contending that he signed up for a personal Facebook account more than a decade ago. Smith claims he used the account for “chronicling his personal and family life.”

But that at some point in recent months or years, Facebook “suspended” the account or “prevented” Smith’s access “for reasons that are not known” to him, the lawsuit claims. It further contends that his efforts as recently as mid-July to get an explanation from Facebook proved futile.

Language in the lawsuit describes what it sees as Facebook’s “Kafka-esque (sic)“ or its supremely complex or illogical “process for seeking explanation ... with regard to the loss of access to the Personal Page.”

The breach of contract claim comes in regard to Smith’s role as “managing member” of the auto-sales company.

Smith says that in 2014 he established a Facebook page for the car business, using his personal account as the page’s administrator. Then the car business began using Facebook’s advertising services. Through 2020, the Auto Group used Facebook advertising, selling eight to 10 cars a month, sales “directly attributable to (Facebook’s) advertising services,” the lawsuit notes.

The lawsuit further states that Smith’s company over the years paid Facebook more than $8,400 in fees. But when Smith’s account was disabled, the car company’s page “became impossible to update directly.” For a time, Smith was able to use Instagram to post but as of September 2022 that no longer worked.

The car company claims to have experienced a “loss of (sales) volume accounting for 100-200 vehicles per year as compared to the previous six-year period.”

A lawsuit represents one side of a legal argument.

This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 9:41 AM.

Joe Kovac Jr.

The Telegraph

Joe Kovac Jr. writes about local news and features for The Telegraph, with an eye for human-interest stories. Joe is a Warner Robins native and graduate of Warner Robins High. He joined the Telegraph in 1991 after graduating from the University of Georgia. As a Pulliam Fellowship recipient in 1991, Joe worked for the Indianapolis News. His stories have appeared in the Washington Post, the Seattle Times and Atlanta Magazine. He has been a Livingston Award finalist and won numerous Georgia Press Association and Georgia Associated Press awards.