From the bubble tea to the bright pink aesthetic, Teatotaller Cafe is what Gen. Z would call an Instagram-able business.”The Food Network actually called us the most Instagram-able business in New Hampshire right after we lost our account,” owner Emmett Soldati said.However, Soldati said back in 2018, he logged on to find a message his page had violated community guidelines and was permanently deleted.”We did not know what that standard was. We just posted about bubble tea and avocado toast,” Soldati said.Soldati said he couldn’t get an answer from Facebook or Instagram, which is now run by parent company Meta. After reading the fine print on the user agreement, he said his only option was to take the tech giant to small claims court.”Knowing specifically that I had spent a lot of advertising dollars, I knew I did have a legitimate claim,” Soldati said.Flash forward six years, several court hearings and an appearance in front of the New Hampshire State Supreme Court, the David vs. Goliath legal fight was finally settled. The court ruled in favor of Soldati and awarded him $100.The money may not seem like much, but he said the win is about more than a payday.”It was really never about the dollar value, but it was about recognizing that Facebook does not have the right to misuse and break promises to its users, especially paying customers,” Soldati said. “They were able to reference case after case after case that they were able to get dismissed and faced no scrutiny. And this, I hope, is one small crack in their armor to say they actually do have to be accountable to their actions.”Soldati’s account is now back on Instagram. News 9 has reached out to Meta for a comment and have not heard back.
From the bubble tea to the bright pink aesthetic, Teatotaller Cafe is what Gen. Z would call an Instagram-able business.
“The Food Network actually called us the most Instagram-able business in New Hampshire right after we lost our account,” owner Emmett Soldati said.
However, Soldati said back in 2018, he logged on to find a message his page had violated community guidelines and was permanently deleted.
“We did not know what that standard was. We just posted about bubble tea and avocado toast,” Soldati said.
Soldati said he couldn’t get an answer from Facebook or Instagram, which is now run by parent company Meta. After reading the fine print on the user agreement, he said his only option was to take the tech giant to small claims court.
“Knowing specifically that I had spent a lot of advertising dollars, I knew I did have a legitimate claim,” Soldati said.
Flash forward six years, several court hearings and an appearance in front of the New Hampshire State Supreme Court, the David vs. Goliath legal fight was finally settled.
The court ruled in favor of Soldati and awarded him $100.
The money may not seem like much, but he said the win is about more than a payday.
“It was really never about the dollar value, but it was about recognizing that Facebook does not have the right to misuse and break promises to its users, especially paying customers,” Soldati said. “They were able to reference case after case after case that they were able to get dismissed and faced no scrutiny. And this, I hope, is one small crack in their armor to say they actually do have to be accountable to their actions.”
Soldati’s account is now back on Instagram.
News 9 has reached out to Meta for a comment and have not heard back.
Source link
credite