Meta Faces Lawsuit in Australia Over Alleged Social Media Harm to Children

Social media giant Meta is facing a class action lawsuit in Australia, alleging that the addictive design features of its Facebook and Instagram platforms are causing harm to children and teenagers. The lawsuit has been filed by the law firm MinterEllison in the Australian Federal Court.

This legal action could mark the first class action in Australia to hold social media accountable for harming its users. The law firm is seeking compensation for current and former users of Facebook and Instagram who claim they were exposed to harmful content or developed a social media addiction as a result of using these platforms.

Highlights

• Meta is facing a class action lawsuit in Australia over allegations that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, cause harm to children through addictive design.
• The lawsuit, filed by MinterEllison, seeks compensation for affected users.
• This could be the first class action in Australia to attribute harm to social media use.
• The suit was filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs who were under 18 when allegedly harmed; a court order prevents revealing their identities.
• A Meta spokesperson stated they would "defend ourselves vigorously" against the claims.

Details

William Nolan, a partner at MinterEllison, stated that the proceedings raise crucial questions about the design and operation of social media platforms and their impact on children and teenagers in Australia. The class action was filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by Meta while they were under the age of 18. A court order has prohibited the reporting of any information that could reveal their identities or the specifics of the statement of claim.

A Meta spokesperson commented, "We are aware of this claim and we will defend ourselves vigorously." Litigation Lending Services, which is funding the class action, noted that Australian families "would have no practical means of pursuing these claims against a global technology giant." This lawsuit emerges amidst increasing tensions between Australia and Big Tech, following a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 in 2025 and new proposed rules that could allow users to disable algorithm-driven content on their feeds.

Why it matters

This lawsuit is part of a growing global trend questioning the responsibility of social media companies for the potential harmful effects of their platforms on users, particularly children. As potentially the first class action of its kind in Australia, it could set a precedent for similar legal proceedings in other countries and lead to significant changes in the design and operational standards of social media platforms. Furthermore, Meta's previous agreement to pay $18 billion to settle claims in the US that it designed social media to addict children indicates that the company is not new to such allegations.