Graham Norton secures court order forcing Meta to disclose those behind ‘harassing’ posts

Graham Norton, a well-known British television presenter and comedian, has successfully obtained a court order compelling Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to disclose the identity of the person or group behind a Facebook page that has allegedly posted "deeply upsetting" and false content about him. According to legal documents filed in a U.S. district court in California, the page known as The Westminster Wire has been publishing material since December 2025 that claims to expose Norton making racist, xenophobic, and anti-immigrant statements. These posts often include AI-generated images of Norton, further amplifying the alleged falsehoods.

The legal filing submitted by Norton's representatives highlights that the Facebook page has accumulated nearly 9,000 followers and has been responsible for several fabricated articles that have caused significant distress to Norton. His legal team emphasized that these posts are entirely untrue and have damaged Norton's public reputation. The court has now given Norton's legal team the authority to request information from Meta that could potentially lead to the identification of the account's creator. This step is crucial because Norton intends to pursue legal action in England against the individual or entity behind the page, but without the necessary data from Meta, such actions would be difficult to initiate due to jurisdictional limitations.

Norton, who has received numerous accolades including nine BAFTA awards, has long been a prominent figure in British entertainment. He has been hosting his popular talk show, The Graham Norton Show, on BBC since 2007 and has also authored several successful books. In his submission to the court, Norton detailed specific instances where the page published false claims, such as one from February 2026 alleging that he had made xenophobic remarks about Somali immigrants. Another post from March 2026 included an AI-generated image suggesting Norton was hospitalized, while yet another post falsely accused him of making racist comments about London's mayor, Sadiq Khan.

Despite Norton's requests to Meta to remove the account, the company has reportedly failed to act on this matter. As of the latest update, The Westminster Wire remains active and has continued to publish new content about Norton within the last 24 hours, making allegations regarding both his personal and professional life. This situation has drawn attention to the broader issue of misinformation on social media platforms, particularly concerning how companies like Meta handle user-generated content that can harm individuals' reputations.

Meta has previously faced similar challenges from other high-profile figures. For instance, in 2022, the company issued an apology to broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan following her High Court action related to defamatory and untrue advertisements found on the platform. Additionally, Irish businessman Denis O’Brien took legal action against Meta over what he described as "fake ads" featuring his name and image. In July 2024, Meta reached an agreement to provide O’Brien with information that might assist in identifying those responsible for the false advertisements on its platforms.

As of now, neither Norton's representatives nor Meta have responded to requests for comment prior to the publication of this story. The case underscores the ongoing debate around the responsibility of social media companies in managing harmful content and the legal complexities involved when such content originates from outside the jurisdiction of the affected parties. With Norton seeking justice through the U.S. legal system, the outcome of this case could set a precedent for future disputes involving online defamation and privacy issues.