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Facebook is being sued for using members' images in ads stating they have "Liked" products or brands that they have not endorsed. Reuters

Facebook is being sued for allegedly falsifying member endorsements, claiming that they "Like" pages they do not support in advertisements shown to other users in the news feed.

A Colorado man has filed a class action lawsuit in San Jose, California against Facebook for using his image in ads on the social network that suggest he has "liked" USA Today's Facebook page.

In response Facebook said: "The complaint is without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously."

Tony DiTirro is suing Facebook for claiming he "Liked" USA Today's Facebook Page in an ad.
Tony DiTirro is suing Facebook for claiming he "Liked" USA Today's Facebook Page in an ad. Pocket-Lint

Anthony "Tony" DiTirro is seeking at least $750 (£456) for himself and any other user featured in ads for products and pages that they haven't "Liked". A law in California allows individuals to seek this amount in damages when their images have been used without direct permission.

"Although [DiTirro] has nothing negative to say about USA Today newspapers, [DiTorro] is not an avid reader of USA Today, nor does [DiTorro] endorse the newspaper," reads the complaint.

"[Facebook] knowingly used [DiTorro]'s likeness and Facebook profile to advertise to the general public that [DiTorro] endorsed USA Today without [DiTorro's] permission."

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DiTirro claims that he was only made aware of the fact that his image was being used to endorse the USA Today Facebook Page by a friend who saw the ad on his newsfeed.

The latest lawsuit is just the latest of the social media giant's legal problems. Facebook agreed to pay a $20 million (£12.6 million) settlement in August 2013 following a class action over "Sponsored Stories", which is similar to the advertisements DiTirro has complained about.

Facebook was also sued two weeks ago for allegedly intercepting information mined from private messages and selling the data to advertisers without users' content. Facebook has also denied these allegations.

The social network site says that "Sponsored Stories" will cease to be a standalone product, but instead be included in new "Social Context" ads that show users having liked a page or checking in to a restaurant – basically exactly the same concept as before, only expanded to include "Check In" updates as well.