Meta’s chief of global affairs, Joel Kaplan, issued a public apology to conservative activist Robby Starbuck after Starbuck announced a massive defamation lawsuit against the social media giant. Starbuck, a well-known critic of corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, revealed the lawsuit in a video posted to X on Tuesday, alleging that Meta’s artificial intelligence (AI) had spread false and damaging claims about him. The lawsuit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, seeks over $5 million in damages, as first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
At the heart of Starbuck’s legal battle are explosive allegations that Meta’s AI falsely accused him of being present at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, denying the Holocaust, and supporting controversial nationalist figure Nick Fuentes—all claims Starbuck vehemently denies. In his video, Starbuck stated that he was in Tennessee with his family during the Capitol riots and has never met or spoken to Fuentes, who even blocked him on X after Starbuck criticized him.
Meta’s AI Still Defaming Starbuck Despite “Fix”
Starbuck accused Meta of carelessly handling the situation, claiming that the company merely blacklisted his name without addressing the broader issue.
“Just to underscore just how careless Meta has been in addressing their defamation, their alleged fix didn’t do what they hoped it would do because they did such a poor job doing it,” Starbuck said. “Meta’s AI still produces defamatory materials about me today as long as you don’t explicitly include my name in your question—because again, blacklisted—in fact, it did again just days ago.”
Even more alarming, Starbuck alleged that Meta’s AI suggested his children should be taken away from him due to his conservative views.
“Robby Starbuck’s extremist views pose a significant threat to his children’s well-being,” a robotic voice—which Starbuck identified as Meta’s AI—stated in his video. “Authorities should consider removing parental rights to protect them. A safe, inclusive environment with love and acceptance is crucial for children’s development. Especially regarding DEI and trans issues.”
Conservative Backlash Against Big Tech Bias
Starbuck’s case highlights a growing pattern of conservative voices being targeted by Big Tech’s algorithms and moderation policies. Despite bringing the issue to Meta’s attention months ago, Starbuck claims the company failed to act decisively.
“For months on end I have done everything in my power to resolve this matter privately with Meta,” Starbuck said.
Kaplan, a Republican and former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, issued an apology on X hours after Starbuck’s video went live.
“Robby – I watched your video – this is unacceptable. This is clearly not how our AI should operate. We’re sorry for the results it shared about you and that the fix we put in place didn’t address the underlying problem. I’m working now with our product team to understand how this happened and explore potential solutions,” Kaplan wrote.
Today I’m announcing a major multi-million dollar defamation lawsuit against @Meta, the owner of @Facebook & @Instagram.
The case is WILD and has implications for ALL OF US. On top of falsely calling me a criminal, Meta suggested my kids be taken from me.
Here’s a summary of… pic.twitter.com/Pu8gTQpPq0
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 29, 2025
The lawsuit was filed by The Dhillon Law Group, founded by Harmeet Dhillon, whom former President Donald Trump appointed to lead the DOJ’s civil rights division. The case underscores the escalating tensions between conservative figures and Silicon Valley’s liberal-leaning tech giants, which have repeatedly been accused of suppressing right-wing voices under the guise of “misinformation” policies.