Man fined $1B for sending Facebook spam

[Electric Monk]

Source: Toronto Sun

MONTREAL – A Montreal man who sent more than four million spam e-mails to Facebook users over a two-month period was ordered to pay the social media giant more than $1 billion in compensation.

Adam Guerbuez did not admit to sending the spam. But he also did not contest the Sept. 28 Superior Court ruling, which upheld an earlier decision by a U.S. District Court judge in San Jose, Calif.

Guerbuez was fined $100 US for each of the 4,366,386 spam messages that were posted onto Facebook profiles in March and April 2008. With punitive damages and the exchange rate factored in, Guerbuez owes $1,068,928,721.46. He’s also barred from opening a Facebook account.

The self-described online marketer says Facebook will have difficulty collecting the sum now that he has filed for bankruptcy.

Read more: http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/10/05/15595181.html

[Historic NY]

1. spam him for life.

[Broderick]

15. Tired

of spam. He ought endure.

[NanceGreggs]

2. "He’s also barred from opening a Facebook account."

Sometimes justice goes too far.

I can imagine his lawyer appealing that. "My client will cough up the billion-and-change, yer honor, no sweat - but no Facebook account? Have you NO mercy?"

[tomm2thumbs]

10. they should make him OPEN and KEEP CURRENT DAILY a facebook account - as punishment

that part made me laugh too

[NanceGreggs]

11. Sentenced to playing "Farmville" ...

... for the rest of his natural life.

Given a choice, I'd choose the death penalty. That much quicker.

[NobleCynic]

14. I think the Bill of Rights prohibits that sadly

Cruel and unusual punishment and what not.

[generalbetrayus]

3. Hopefully Facebook will use some of the money to fix

all the glitches in the site. I can't access Facebook at this very moment.

[Socal31]

5. What money?

[Sweet Charming Dem]

6. Okay, I thought it was just me.

[Trajan]

7. Yeah ... Same here ...

It's up now .... But I can tell nobody has posted ....

[awoke_in_2003]

8. hopefully Facebook...

will use the money to go the fuck away.

[Control-Z]

9. You joke. n/t

[KurtNYC]

13. Facebook does not collect the fine

(assuming it is paid).

Facebook would have to bring a civil suit and show damage.

[The Second Stone]

4. Ha ha, only corporations are allowed to get away with

things that people would be fined a billion dollars for.

[provis99]

12. the guy sounds like a complete sociopath. Looks like a thug, too.