Plaintiffs John Suddeth and Sara Perkins have filed a class action lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc. in a California federal court, alleging that Meta unlawfully used the names, images, voices, and personas of financial professionals in paid advertisements. The lawsuit claims this conduct has misappropriated identities and contributed to fraudulent investment schemes involving thinly traded securities based in China, violating several legal statutes including the Lanham Act and California and Florida publicity laws. The plaintiffs argue that the process for creating paid advertisements on Meta's platforms has facilitated the unauthorized use of these identities. They allege that Meta ignored warnings from state attorneys general about the proliferation of impersonation ads. The lawsuit seeks to represent a nationwide class of affected financial professionals, demanding a jury trial and various forms of damages. The case is titled Suddeth, et al. v. Meta Platforms Inc., et al., and is registered as Case No. 5:25-cv-08581 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.