Mandatory injunction refused over suspension from social media platform and alleged impersonation accounts

The High Court refused to grant an interlocutory injunction requiring a social media platform to reinstate a suspended account and proactively block impersonation accounts, and also vacated an earlier interim order. The plaintiff had sought urgent mandatory orders to restore access to his account and require the defendant to remove or block accounts impersonating him, claiming ongoing reputational and financial harm. The court held that the plaintiff had admitted to previous impersonation on the platform in breach of its terms, and thus was not entitled to equitable relief. Furthermore, the platform’s current procedures for dealing with impersonation reports were found to be reasonable, and the applicant had not demonstrated a strong case warranting mandatory relief, nor that damages would be inadequate. The court also emphasised that granting the injunction would impose a general monitoring obligation on the defendant contrary to law, and noted the risk of adverse repercussions for both the platform and other users. The court concluded there was no realistic prospect of a permanent injunction succeeding at trial, and therefore refused the relief sought.