A New Jersey federal judge ruled the case belongs in Silicon Valley, not Newark.
Newark, NJ – A federal judge has ordered a lawsuit against Meta Platforms and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to be transferred out of New Jersey, shifting the legal battle over an Instagram account ban to a California court. The decision moves the case brought by OKLegal.com to the Northern District of California, where Meta is headquartered.
The lawsuit stems from a March 26, 2025 action in which Meta indefinitely banned OKLegal.com from using Instagram to promote its affiliated law firm, The Haddad Law Firm PC. The company alleged the ban violated its constitutional rights and disrupted its business operations.
According to the complaint, Meta determined that the account violated its “Community Standards,” prompting the removal. OKLegal.com argued the enforcement amounted to “a restraint on [its] First Amendment right to free speech.”
Court shifts venue to California
U.S. District Judge Esther Salas granted Meta’s request to transfer the case, finding that California is the more appropriate venue to resolve the dispute. The court declined to rule on the remainder of Meta’s motion to dismiss, allowing those arguments to be raised again after the case is transferred.
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The judge also opted to decide the motion without oral argument, noting that the written submissions sufficiently addressed the legal issues.
Key Points
- Federal judge transfers OKLegal.com lawsuit against Meta to California
- Case centers on Instagram ban issued in March 2025
- Claims include First Amendment violations and business interference
Claims challenge platform rules and federal law
OKLegal.com brought three claims against Meta and Zuckerberg, including an alleged violation of First Amendment rights, a request to declare Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act unconstitutional, and a claim for tortious interference with a business relationship.
Court filings indicate the company agreed to Instagram’s Terms of Use when creating its account, a factor often central in disputes involving platform enforcement decisions. The record also reflects that the plaintiff used Instagram primarily to market legal services.
The New Jersey court’s decision does not resolve the merits of the case but instead determines where those arguments will be heard next. Meta may renew its dismissal arguments once the case is docketed in California federal court.
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