From the bubble tea to the bright pink aesthetic, Teatotaller Cafe is what Gen Z would call an Instagrammable business. “In fact, right after we lost our account, Food Network called us the most Instagrammable business in New Hampshire,” the owner says. Emmett Soldati said: But when Soldati logged on in 2018, he said he found a message saying his page violated community guidelines and was permanently removed. “We didn't know what the standards were. We just posted about bubble tea and avocado toast,” Soldati said. Soldati said he did not receive a response from Facebook or Instagram, which are currently operated by parent company Meta. After reading the fine print of the user agreement, he said his only option was to take the tech giant to small claims court. “I believed I had a legitimate claim, especially knowing that I had spent a lot of money on advertising,” Soldati said. After six years, several court hearings and an appearance before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, the David vs. Goliath legal battle is finally over. The court ruled in Soldati's favor and awarded him his $100. “It was never about the value of the dollar, it was about recognizing that Facebook has no right to abuse or break its promises to its users, especially paying customers.” Soldati said. “They were able to file lawsuit after lawsuit and have it dismissed without any scrutiny. “And this is where they get that little crack in their armor that they actually have to take responsibility for their actions. I hope so.”
From its bubble tea to its bright pink aesthetic, Teatotaller Cafe is what Gen Z would call an Instagrammable business.
“In fact, right after we lost our account, Food Network called us the most Instagram-friendly business in New Hampshire,” owner Emmett Soldati said.
But Soldati said he logged on in 2018 and found a message saying his page had violated community guidelines and had been permanently removed.
“We didn't know what the standards were. We just posted about bubble tea and avocado toast,” Soldati said.
Soldati said he did not receive a response from Facebook or Instagram, which are currently operated by parent company Meta. After reading the fine print of the user agreement, he said he had no choice but to take the tech giant to small claims court.
“I knew I was entitled to it, especially knowing that I had spent a lot of money on advertising,” Soldati said.
After six years, several court hearings and an appearance before the New Hampshire Supreme Court, the David vs. Goliath legal battle is finally over.
The court ruled in Soldati's favor and awarded him $100.
While the amount may not seem like much, the win is worth more than a payday, he said.
“It was never really about the value of the dollar, but it was about recognizing that Facebook does not have the right to abuse or break its promises to its users, especially paying customers,” Soldati said. he said. “They were able to be fired and not come under any scrutiny. And I hope this is a small crack in the armor that they actually have to take responsibility for their actions.”
Soldati's account is back on Instagram.
News 9 reached out to Mehta for comment but did not receive a response.
