SCOOP: Instagram “extorted” cannabis CEO to restore account, lawsuit claims

A California cannabis CEO alleges he has had his Instagram accounts suspended multiple times since 2023 and was forced to pay more than $40,000 to employees to have them restored.

He alleges the payments were part of a "closed loop' extortionate fraud scheme" where employees of Instagram parent company Meta Platforms "are accepting bribes" from "rivals/competitors/enemies" then "demand/accept payments" to restore the accounts.

Plaintiff Elliot Lewis is CEO of Long Beach-based Catalyst Cannabis, one of California's largest dispensary chains with more than . . .