Indiana Lawyer Named Mark Zuckerberg Sues Meta Over Repeated Facebook Bans

An unusual courtroom battle has emerged in Indiana, where a local attorney named Mark Zuckerberg has taken on Meta, the parent company of Facebook. The reason? The social media giant repeatedly suspended his account, claiming he was impersonating none other than its own founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Mark S. Zuckerberg, a bankruptcy lawyer practicing in Indiana for nearly 38 years, has filed a lawsuit in Marion Superior Court. He argues that the bans have unfairly damaged his business, cost him thousands of dollars, and violated Meta’s agreements with him as a paying advertiser.

According to the attorney, Facebook has suspended his account five times over the last eight years. Each time, the suspension was linked to allegations that he was pretending to be Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Facebook. The attorney, however, insists his name is real and predates the fame of the tech mogul.

“I’m Mark Steven. And he’s Mark Elliot,” he clarified in an interview with WTHR-TV, underscoring that the confusion stems entirely from automated systems.

The lawsuit points out that the suspensions not only disrupted his ability to communicate with clients but also nullified his investments in advertising. Zuckerberg says he paid roughly $11,000 (about ₹8.2 lakh) for Facebook ads that were later pulled down because of the mistaken suspensions. Comparing it to traditional advertising, he explained: “It’s like buying a billboard on the side of the highway, paying the people for the billboard and then they come and put a giant blanket over it and you don’t get the benefit of what you paid for.”

He also emphasized that he has gone above and beyond to verify his identity with Meta, submitting photo IDs, credit cards, and several pictures of himself. Despite these efforts, his appeals often went unanswered for months. “I did everything they asked me to do, like I always do. They ask you to appeal if you think your suspension is not proper. I filed the proper appeals with them the very next day and I've heard nothing from them and it's been four months. The last time they did it, it was over six months before they turned my account back on. So I don't know how else to get their attention,” he said.

His most recent suspension occurred in May this year. The account was reinstated only after he filed the lawsuit. Meta later admitted fault, saying his account had been “disabled in error.” In its statement, the company added: “We appreciate Mr. Zuckerberg’s continued patience on this issue and are working to try and prevent this from happening in the future.”

While the acknowledgment has brought some relief, the Indiana lawyer says the harm is real. “It’s not funny,” he told WTHR. “Not when they take my money.”

To highlight the bizarre mix-ups tied to his name, he has even launched a website chronicling his experiences. One notable case he shares is being mistakenly sued by the state of Washington, further illustrating how automated systems and human assumptions can go astray when it comes to identity.

This case underscores the pitfalls of digital verification systems, especially for individuals who happen to share names with high-profile public figures.