Oof, talk about seeing your name being talked about in a Facebook group, right?
A man from Chicago is suing 27 women, 1 man, and different social media platforms (including but not limited to Meta, Patreon, GoFundMe) following negative posts about dating him in an “Are We Dating the Same Guy” Facebook group.
Nikko D’ Ambrosio, the man who filed the complaint in the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, says that he was subjected to defamation, doxing, and the invasion of privacy in the said Facebook group—one for each person listed.
Other counts in the complaint include intentional infliction of emotional distress, misappropriation, unjust enrichment, and public disclosure of private facts.
D’ Ambrosio is said to be seeking compensations exceeding $75,000 and an injunction that will prevent defendants from publishing more statements about him in the Chicago branch of the “Are We Dating the Same Guy” Facebook page.
The “Are We Dating the Same Guy” groups allow Facebook users to talk about negative dating experiences with men in the same area. Many subgroups or branches exist in many metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada.
The first Facebook group started in 2022 in New York City, where people post a name or a picture of them with the caption, “any tea or red flags?” and others would respond about their experience with the person.
The groups, despite being made in good faith, have been criticized due to the claims being made by people being difficult to verify, and it being possible for victims of abuse to be endangered in the process.
All official “Are We Dating the Same Guy” groups’ descriptions include a set of rules, including a “No Libel, Defamation or Copyright Infringement,” which tells its members to prepare “proof of anything you state about any individual” and for users “to post at their own risk.” “If you don’t have any proof of allegations you make against someone posted in this group, you are in danger of being sued for libel and/or defamation,” the rules state.
There is also an existing “Are We Dating the Same” website, which is described to be “designed for both guys and gals to report and learn about individuals they encounter on dating websites,” and that the site “helps men discover info about women, and women to gain insight into men’s profiles.” The site acts as a searchable database for men and women.
In his complaint, D’ Ambrosio said that thousands of men may have been “potentially defamed,” with some unaware that they were subjects of belittling posts, and that there is no way to fact-check the statements being posted in the group.
In D’ Ambrosio’s case, a woman (with whom he had consensual sex with) had posted a photo of him in the group, which had incurred responses labeling him a “psycho,” a “ghoster,” and “very clingy.”
“The defendants broadcast their outrageous, cruel, and malicious lies about the plaintiff with knowledge that the statements were false or with reckless disregard as whether or not they were true,” as stated in the complaint filed by D’ Ambrosio.
Trent Law Firm, the firm representing D’ Ambrosio, says that they are “seeking victims of the same situation,” and commented on the complaint. “Trent Law Firm believes that the evidence will show that our client is a victim of systemic attack against his reputation for the sole purpose of monetary enrichment,” a spokesperson said.
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