Meta Argues US User Protections Superior to Israel's in Bank Lawsuit

Meta Platforms has asked the Tel Aviv District Court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Bank Leumi, which seeks to compel the social media giant to pre-moderate all advertisements mentioning the bank's name or trademarks. In its response, Meta warned that granting such a request would set a dangerous precedent, giving a private financial institution "veto and censorship rights" over the internet and effectively transferring control of legitimate content publication to a third party.

Meta also cited admissions from Bank Leumi's cybersecurity experts, who reportedly acknowledged that automated filtering systems cannot fully prevent sophisticated, targeted fraud. The company asserted that global moderation and enforcement mechanisms vary by jurisdiction, and the level of protection available to users in the United States is higher than in Israel.

Bank Leumi filed its lawsuit in August, seeking a court order requiring Meta to approve any advertisement containing its name or marks on its platforms before publication. Meta argues that this proposed model of preventive approval is disproportionate to the risks, technically unsustainable, and contrary to the principles of open advertising platforms.

The tech company emphasized its commitment to developing tools for fraud detection and blocking but stated it cannot guarantee 100% real-time filtering. Bank Leumi had previously criticized Meta's moderation as insufficient, citing an increase in fraudulent schemes using the bank's brand to mislead customers.