Singer Noa Kirel filed a lawsuit on Monday for NIS 1.3 million ($350,000) against TikTok Israel and the public relations firm of Debby Moshe Communication. The lawsuit claims that the publication disseminated by the defendants contains false information, purportedly circulated by them, falsely presenting a decline in the commercial success of singer Noa Kirel for the year 2023.
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The lawsuit further alleges that the publication was distributed by the Debby Moshe Communication office, featuring a list of Israeli artists under the headline: "Top 10 Leading Israeli Artists of the Year." The publication includes an annual summary for the year 2023, purportedly based on objective data found on TikTok, according to which Israeli singer Anna Zak allegedly "surpassed" Noa Kirel, "ridiculed her," and "snatched" the first place in the ranking of the top 10 leading Israeli artists of the year.
The publication gained widespread media attention, followed by a sketch on a national satirical program, mocking the fictitious competition between the two artists.
The lawsuit further claims that these publications surprised Noa Kirel and her company, as they possess simple and objective data within their reach. According to this data, the viewership statistics on TikTok for Noa Kirel have significantly and sometimes doubly exceeded those of Anna Zak.
Additionally, the lawsuit contends that the attempt to create a kind of conflict is what captures public interest and generates more media coverage, thus promoting the reputation of Debby Moshe Communication as the orchestrator behind the misleading campaign. This is achieved by leveraging the names and reputation of the brand Noa Kirel.
Within the filed lawsuit, it is further asserted that "This lawsuit does not involve any personal offense, hurt ego, or any hidden or explicit creative rivalry between the two leading figures in the mentioned ranking – both of whom are talented in their own right and deserving of respect. The truth must also be acknowledged – dragging the discussion into sensationalist realms is part of the marketing strategy employed by TikTok's PR firm (Debby Moshe Communication)."
TikTok said in response: "We have not yet received the formal lawsuit, and when we do, we will provide our response to the court. We regret that Noa Kirel chose to take this path, especially at a time when the State of Israel is grappling, particularly this morning, with a challenging and complex wartime reality."