Facebook to be sued for using people to promote ads in "Sponsored Story"

Five people are taking Facebook to court over yet another feature many users find troubling, and this may be just the beginning.

The suit is over “Sponsored Story””, an involuntary endorsement from one Facebook user to another that shows a friend “liked” a product or service. The bottom line? Advertisers hope you will “like” them too.  

When the issue was first brought to the California court system in October, Facebook was exempted from legal action under a “newsworthiness” clause.

But according to California law, companies are not allowed to use anyone’s name or image to promote products without their permission, and U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh reversed the decision on Friday.

This change could lead to more suits against Facebook.

Another possibility would be Facebook having to pay $750 to each user used in the  “Sponsored Story” feature.

The case will go to trial next year.

Read more here .