Court Dismisses $100B Lawsuit Against Meta
Table of Contents
Case Background
Dewy Gene Tosi lived in Scotts Valley, California. On December 19, 2024, he filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz. He accused Meta and related entities of misconduct linked to Facebook activity. He claimed the matter involved stalking, child molestation, and news reporting issues tied to social media platforms.
Cause
Tosi alleged that false information appeared on Facebook and spread across Meta platforms. He claimed this content connected him to serious crimes. He argued the publications were false and harmful. He accused the defendants of removing truthful information and replacing it with damaging reports. He believed this activity was deliberate and malicious.
Injury
As a result, Tosi said he endured public harm. He reported reputational damage, fear, and emotional distress. He claimed the actions disrupted his personal life and community standing.
Damages
Tosi demanded $100,000,000,000 in damages. He sought compensation for reputational harm, emotional suffering, and related losses caused by Meta’s alleged conduct.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff(s): Jerry Gene Toste
Counsel for Plaintiff: Pro Se
Defendant(s): Facebook | Meta Incorporated
Claims
The complaint raised multiple claims:
Count 1: False reporting and removal of accurate information.
Count 2: Stalking through Facebook and related platforms.
Count 3: Defamation tied to child molestation reports.
Count 4: Emotional and reputational damages tied to false publications.
Defense
Meta Platforms, Inc. argued that Plaintiff Jerry Toste abandoned his claims by failing to oppose its demurrer within the required deadline. The company emphasized that no opposition was filed by May 6, 2025, nor did Toste respond to counsel’s inquiries about his intentions to file. Citing California precedent, Meta maintained that a failure to oppose is treated as an admission that the motion is meritorious.
Meta further asserted that, given the lack of opposition, the Court could sustain the demurrer without leave to amend. The company stressed that dismissal was warranted to conserve judicial resources and prevent further delay. Meta clarified that it alone, as the successor to Facebook, was the proper defendant, and it requested dismissal with prejudice to end the litigation.
Case Outcome
The Santa Cruz County Superior Court sustained Meta Platforms, Inc.’s unopposed demurrer without leave to amend in Jerry Toste’s lawsuit, which sought $100 billion and removal of online content linking him to a criminal case. The court found the handwritten complaint fatally uncertain, lacking facts to establish any cause of action, and barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields Meta from liability for third-party content on its platform. The court held that Toste, though self-represented, was bound by standard procedural rules, and that amendment would be futile since the claims targeted Meta’s publisher role over user-generated content, which is immunized by law.
Court Documents
Court documents are available for purchase upon request at Jurimatic@exlitem.com