“Third-level student seeks High Court order to remove defamatory material from blackmailing Instagram account”

A third-level student is seeking a High Court order to remove “fake and defamatory” material posted by an Instagram account holder who allegedly blackmailed him and sent altered sexualized images to his contacts. The student claims that his image, along with false male genitalia, were sent to various contacts and followers on his social media accounts. After blocking the account, the student claims that he recovered multiple communications from people on his contact list, including from contacts at his college, after they were sent the images. Seeking an order restraining Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, which owns Instagram, from publishing any further statements about him on the specific account, the student’s lawyers have been given permission to serve short notice of the injunction proceedings against Meta. The court, acknowledging the serious implications the alleged activity has had on the applicant, is prepared to make a temporary order anonymizing the applicant. Barrister John Temple is seeking the order on behalf of the student, stating that his client has been defamed and his privacy rights have been breached. Despite requests from the student and his solicitor, Meta has taken no action and merely stated that the material did not breach its community guidelines. The incident has also been reported to the authorities for investigation.