Facebook challenge
BrewDog demands Meta reveals accusers’ identities
BrewDog boss James Watt has launched legal action against Facebook owner Meta in an attempt to uncover who was behind an online smear campaign against him.
The co-founder and chief executive of the brewer and pub chain has filed a High Court action against Meta Platforms Ireland in Dublin.
He is aiming to force the social media giant to reveal the details of those behind anonymous accounts.
Mr Watt was the subject of a number of adverse claims from former BrewDog employees over his management style and he has promised to change the culture at the business that employs 2,200 people.
In a social media post, he said: “For the past two years I have been the subject of a vicious and relentless campaign of abuse, often by troll accounts posting and sharing appalling lies about me (often direct to family and friends) – lies that were then amplified all over the internet.
“I want to say I didn’t go to court lightly, but I have been harassed, defrauded and defamed, and it has deeply affected me, my family and my business. I had no choice.”
In an interview last year, Watt admitted he had been “too intense and demanding” in BrewDog and pushed people “too far”, but he said the behaviour had been well-intentioned.
Mr Watt is represented in his legal action by WP Tweed, a firm led by solicitor Paul Tweed, known for specialising in defamation and cases against social media firms.
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As a drinker at brewdog pubs, I am surprised at the amount of abuse the pub chain has received. I strongly suspect that this is because it is different and as far as I see has a modern approach to staff freedom. Sure there will always be disgruntled idiots that would complain for the hell of it. And there maybe situations where complaints in are justified. But on personal experience brewdog staff have always seemed to have a free and relaxed attitude to their work that they do well.