Diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg wants Facebook to give up names of 'hateful' online critics

Diamond dealer and independent candidate for Parliament, Louis Liebenberg, has launched a court bid to compel Facebook to hand over the identities of users he says are making "false" and "defamatory" statements about him and his wife.

In an affidavit lodged in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, Liebenberg said he needed the real identities of the users, so that he could stop them from posting lies. The urgent court bid was first reported by Netwerk24. 

While Liebenberg, who launched his bid for Parliament two weeks ago, acknowledged he was a public figure who could expect criticism, he added that he and his wife should not be subject to "degrading and hateful attacks".