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Meta sued in Australian class action over alleged social media harm to children

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Meta sued in Australian class action over alleged social media harm to children

A class-action lawsuit has been filed in an Australian court against Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram, alleging that the social media platforms exposed children to harmful content and used algorithms to keep them addicted.

The lawsuit, filed this month in the Federal Court of Australia, the country’s second-highest court, by law firm MinterEllison, could be the first in Australia to hold social media platforms responsible for harming their users, particularly children and teenagers.

The class-action suit has been filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by Meta while they were under the age of 18. They are seeking compensation.

“We are aware of this claim and we will defend ourselves vigorously,” a Meta spokesperson said in an email.

In a suppression order issued on Monday, the court prohibited the reporting of any information that could reveal the applicants’ identities or details of the statement of claim.

The lawsuit comes amid rising tensions between Australia and Big Tech following a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 and newly proposed rules that could allow users to switch off algorithm-driven content in their feeds.

In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle claims brought by nearly all US states that it had designed its social media platforms to be addictive to children.

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