In a precedent-setting case, the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court has instructed Facebook to reveal details pertaining to a fictitious profile.

The court is asking Facebook to disclose the details of the identity of the anonymous account pertaining to a defamation lawsuit regarding posts on the page.

The case is described as “very sensitive for Facebook” says a lawyer for the plaintiff, adding if the company fails to meet the court’s demands, the case may become increasingly complicated.

The case involving the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court instructs Facebook to reveal details of a page regarding a defamation lawsuit filed by a Ramat Gan engineer. The lawsuit alleges the person behind the fictitious ID is responsible for slandering her, invading her privacy, and insulting a public servant. The lawsuit was filed by the engineer against Facebook Israel, Facebook Ireland, and against two residents of Ramat Gan, seeing damages in the amount of NIS 200,000.

The lawsuit is based on material which appeared on the site of ‘איתי עמירם’, who launched the page on September 11, 2019. According to a BeChadrei Chareidim report, one of the victims is engineer Aliza Zeidler-Granot. A post appeared on the page which basically was a field trial against Zeidler-Granot, flinging allegations against her for being a liar without providing any explanation or basis for the allegations. Zeidler-Granot is an employee of the Ramat Gan municipality.

As a result of numerous posts against the city engineer, residents joined the campaign of scandals, including two prominent residents, who are listed among the defendants in the lawsuit. In some of the posts, the city engineer was dubbed a liar and a bad person, as well as being a government puppet. Insulting and abusive nicknames were also included in the posts.

Facebook is being instructed by the Tel Aviv court to provide the true identity of Itai Amiram, as it has already been established the name is fictitious. The court has given Facebook 30 days to provide the information.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)