IU Seeks U.S. Court Order to Identify Anonymous Threads User in Defamation Lawsuit

IU has reportedly expanded her legal efforts against online defamation by filing a request with a U.S. federal court to obtain identifying information from Meta, the company that operates Threads. The move is part of an ongoing civil defamation lawsuit that IU previously filed in South Korea.

Legal Request Targets Anonymous Threads Account

According to court documents, IU's legal team alleges that an anonymous Threads account repeatedly published at least 52 false and defamatory posts targeting the singer and actress. Because the account operates on a global platform, Korean courts cannot proceed with the civil lawsuit unless the defendant's identity is established through international judicial cooperation.

To continue the case, IU's attorneys have asked the U.S. court to authorize the disclosure of limited subscriber information from Meta, including the account holder's name, email address, phone number, address, date of birth, recent login IP records, and payment registration details. The request specifically seeks only the information necessary to identify the account owner and does not include private communications or message contents.

Alleged Defamation Campaign

The filing reportedly states that the anonymous account spread a wide range of false claims about IU, including previously dismissed plagiarism allegations, misinformation regarding her charitable activities, fabricated claims about her career, and other defamatory accusations. IU's legal team also argued that the account primarily used the Korean language and focused on domestic issues, suggesting it is likely operated by someone based in South Korea.

If the U.S. court grants the request and Meta provides the requested information, the identity of the account holder could be confirmed, allowing IU's civil defamation lawsuit in South Korea to proceed against the individual