Caraccioli v. Facebook, Inc.

167 F. Supp. 3d 1056, 64 Communications Reg. (P&F) 422, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29021, 2016 WL 859863
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. California
DecidedMarch 7, 2016
DocketCase No. 5:15-cv-04145-EJD
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 167 F. Supp. 3d 1056 (Caraccioli v. Facebook, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caraccioli v. Facebook, Inc., 167 F. Supp. 3d 1056, 64 Communications Reg. (P&F) 422, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29021, 2016 WL 859863 (N.D. Cal. 2016).

Opinion

[1060]*1060ORDER GRANTING DEFENDANT’S MOTION TO DISMISS; DENYING PLAINTIFF’S MOTION FOR LEAVE TO FILE SECOND AMENDED COMPLAINT

Re: Dkt. Nos. 17, 21

EDWARD J. DAVILA, United States District Judge

With the rise of social media on the internet, many people choose to make public the aspects of their lives that would otherwise be known to few. Social media networks can also be easily misused, however, by those motivated to impermissibly reveal the private matters of others. Plaintiff Franco Caraccioli (“Plaintiff’) alleges in this case that someone posted private images and videos to a webpage without his consent and disseminated that material to his unsuspecting online network of friends, family and professional contacts. He asked Defendant Facebook, Inc. (“Facebook”) to remove the webpage, but was unsatisfied with Facebook’s response. He filed this action for damages against Facebook as a result.

Two matters are now before the court. In the first, Facebook moves to dismiss Plaintiffs claims because it argues they contradict Facebook’s Terms of Service and are barred by the Communications Decency Act. In the second, Plaintiff seeks leave file a second amended complaint that includes an additional claim. Having carefully considered the parties’ arguments for and against these motions, this court has determined that Plaintiff cannot maintain this case either as pled or as re-pled in an amended complaint. Accordingly, Face-book’s motion will be granted, all claims will be dismissed without leave to amend, and Plaintiffs motion will be denied.

I. BACKGROUND

According to Plaintiff, a law student, “[t]his is a case about one of the most powerful corporations in the world, a corporation that maliciously recreated obscene or pornographic sexual content on a personal profile named ‘Franco Caraccioli-jerkingman’ ... inside its online digital community....” First Am. Compl. (“FAC”), Dkt. No. 4, at ¶¶ 1, 10. The referenced corporation is Facebook, which is a Delaware corporation1 that provides “a social networking Website that connects people with their friends, families and other online communities.” Id. at ¶¶ 12, 14.

Plaintiff alleges that, on September 14, 2014, “an account who’s creator is still unascertainable” created a Facebook account entitled “Franco Caracciolijerking-man” (the “suspect account”). Id. at ¶ 27. This account “included videos and pictures of [Plaintiff] sexually arousing or pleasuring himself....” Id. at ¶ 29. Plaintiff became aware of the account because it sent him a “friend request.” Id. at ¶ 28. He believes a similar request “was sent to every friend [Plaintiff] has in his community because of the amount of messages or calls he received that day.” Id. at ¶ 31.

After becoming aware of the account, Plaintiff reported it to Facebook and demanded that it be deleted “because of the humiliating sexual nature of the content.” Id. at ¶ 30. He clicked on several of the photos and videos published with the account “in order to report or notify” Face-book with his own personal account. Id. at ¶ 32, 33. Many of his friends and family members informed Plaintiff they would also report the account to Facebook and ask that it be deleted. Id. at ¶ 34-36. Plaintiff, however, received other calls and messages that he alleges were made “sole[1061]*1061ly to humiliate, mock, ridicule, or embarrass” Plaintiff. Id. at ¶ 37.

The day after his report, Plaintiff received an email from Facebook in which it admitted receiving notifications concerning the account but stating it had reviewed the account and “ ‘determined that Franco Caracciolijerkingman is a person who’s using Facebook in a way that follows the Facebook Community Standards.’ ” Id. at ¶ 38. Subsequently, Plaintiff sent an email to Facebook suggesting he would take legal action. Id. at ¶ 43. Plaintiff alleges that Facebook then deleted the account the following day. Id. at ¶ 44.

Plaintiff initiated this action on September 11, 2015, and filed an amended complaint on September 18, 2015.2 He asserts the following claims under California law: (1) defamation, (2) libel, (3) intrusion upon seclusion, (4) public disclosure of private facts, (5) false light, (6) intentional infliction of emotional distress, (7) negligent infliction of emotional distress, (8) breach of contract, (9) negligent supervisions and retention, and (10) violation of the Unfair Competition Law (“UCL”), Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq. These motions followed.

II. LEGAL STANDARD

A. Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6)

Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8(a) requires a plaintiff to plead each claim with sufficient specificity to “give the defendant fair notice of what the ... claim is and the grounds upon which it rests.” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007) (internal quotations omitted). The factual allegations “must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level” such that the claim “is plausible on its face.” Id. at 556-57, 127 S.Ct. 1955. A complaint which falls short of the Rule 8(a) standard may be dismissed if it fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). “Dismissal under Rule 12(b)(6) is appropriate only where the complaint lacks a cognizable legal theory or sufficient facts to support a cognizable legal theory.” Mendiondo v. Centinela Hosp. Med. Ctr., 521 F.3d 1097, 1104 (9th Cir.2008).

When deciding whether to grant a motion to dismiss, the court must generally accept as true all “well-pleaded factual allegations.” Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 664, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009). The court must also construe the alleged facts in the light most favorable to the plaintiff. Love v. United States, 915 F.2d 1242, 1245 (9th Cir.1988). However, “courts are not bound to accept as true a legal conclusion couched as a factual allegation.” Iqbal, 556 U.S. at 678, 129 S.Ct. 1937.

Also, the court generally does not consider any material beyond the pleadings for a Rule 12(b)(6) analysis. Hal Roach Studios, Inc. v. Richard Feiner & Co., 896 F.2d 1542, 1555 n. 19 (9th Cir.1990). Exceptions to this rule include material submitted as part of the complaint or relied upon in the complaint, and material subject to judicial notice. See Lee v. City of Los Angeles, 250 F.3d 668, 688-69 (9th Cir.2001).

B. Pro Se Pleadings

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Bluebook (online)
167 F. Supp. 3d 1056, 64 Communications Reg. (P&F) 422, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 29021, 2016 WL 859863, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caraccioli-v-facebook-inc-cand-2016.