IU seeks US court order to unmask anonymous Threads user over defamation claims

South Korean singer and actress IU has filed an ex parte application with the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division, seeking an order compelling Meta Platforms to disclose identifying details of an anonymous Threads user.

A representative of IU's agency, EDAM Entertainment, confirmed the filing in a statement to South Korean outlet OSEN on 20 July 2026, saying the agency had sought discovery against Meta "to confirm the identity of the poster who spread malicious rumours about IU."

According to a petition reviewed by entertainment outlet Dispatch, the application was filed on 15 July 2026 under 28 U.S.C. §1782, a statute permitting US courts to assist discovery for use in foreign legal proceedings.

The petition targets a Threads account identified only by the partial handle "@7h***". IU's team states they have been unable to determine the account holder's identity, which they say has hindered a separate civil case already under way in South Korea.

The filing asks the court to direct Meta to produce the account's registered name, address, phone number, email address and login IP records.

Allegations detailed in the petition

The application alleges the account posted a total of 52 statements between March and October 2025 that damaged IU's reputation. It groups the posts into six categories.

The first concerns repeated claims that IU plagiarised another artist's music. According to the filing, a Korean court entered a civil damages judgment of KRW30 million, approximately US$21,000 at prevailing exchange rates, on 18 December 2024 against the originator of the original plagiarism allegation, which the filing states had already been adjudicated as defamatory. The filing does not identify the Threads account holder as the party against whom that earlier judgment was entered.

The second category involves posts alleging IU holds Chinese nationality or acts as an agent of Chinese commercial interests. The petition cites specific posts claiming her charitable causes and a cosmetics brand she is linked to are Chinese-owned, and describing her as fluent in Cantonese.

A third set of posts claimed IU has little genuine popularity outside South Korea, including claims that her 2025 Netflix drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" had virtually no overseas audience. Her representatives say they submitted international streaming and performance data to contest this.

A fourth category concerns videos referencing the late performers Sulli, Jonghyun and Goo Hara. The petition alleges these posts accused an unnamed "female singer B" of exploiting the deaths of deceased colleagues for publicity, which IU's side characterises as a false claim directed at her.

The fifth category alleges posts accusing IU of controlling media coverage and manipulating public opinion, including a claim comparing her conduct to the Chinese Communist Party and asserting she wields more influence than politicians.

The sixth category concerns posts linking IU's songs to national tragedies. The petition cites claims that her song "Strawberry Moon" references the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, and that another track, "Eoppu", mocks victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster. IU's representatives describe these claims as unverified and false.

According to the filing, the 52 posts collectively received tens of thousands of views and drew significant engagement on Threads. IU's representatives state that without the account holder's personally identifiable information, the Korean civil case cannot proceed.

Background of legal action

IU has pursued multiple legal actions against individuals accused of posting malicious content about her. According to EDAM Entertainment, working with Shinwon Law Offices, the agency pursued criminal complaints and civil lawsuits against 96 individuals in 2025.

The agency said outcomes included seven fines, one fine combined with an order to complete a sexual violence treatment programme, three conditional suspensions of indictment contingent on completing education, and one suspended prison sentence with probation and supervised release.

Separately, in May 2026, an appellate court upheld a four-month prison sentence, suspended for one year, against one individual convicted in a related case, according to Dispatch.

The US petition remains before the Northern District of California. Meta Platforms has not publicly responded to the application as of publication.