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

“We ‌are aware of this claim ​and we will defend ourselves vigorously,” a Meta spokesperson said by ⁠email [File] | Photo Credit: REUTERS A class-action ​lawsuit has been filed in an Australian ‌court against Meta Platforms’ Facebook and Instagram ​that alleges the social ⁠media platforms exposed children to harmful content and kept them addicted through algorithms.The lawsuit, filed in ‌the Federal Court, Australia’s second-highest, by law firm MinterEllison this ‌month could be the first in ‌Australia ⁠to blame social media for ⁠harming its 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, and are seeking compensation.“We ‌are aware of this claim ​and we will defend ourselves vigorously,” a Meta spokesperson said by ⁠email.In a suppression order on Monday, the court prohibited the reporting of ‌any information which could reveal the identity of the applicants, and the statement of claim.The lawsuit comes amid rising tensions between Australia and Big Tech after a world-first ban ‌on social media for children under 16, and ​newly proposed rules that could let users switch off algorithm-driven content ⁠on their feeds.Meta in August ⁠agreed to pay $18 billion to settle with nearly all US states ‌to resolve claims it designed social media to addict children. Published - October 22, 2026 09:26 am IST