Meta faces Australian lawsuit over alleged social media harm to children

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkMeta spokesperson says 'we will defend ourselves vigorously', against the claim [File: Dado Ruvic/Reuters]By AFP and ReutersPublished On 22 Oct 202622 Oct 2026Meta and its social media platforms Facebook and Instagram are facing a class action lawsuit in Australia over allegations that addictive design features are harming children and teenagers.The lawsuit, filed by MinterEllison in the Australian Federal Court, seeks to recover compensation for current and former users of Facebook and Instagram who claim they were exposed to harmful content or developed an addiction to social media as a result of using those platforms, the law firm said in a statement released on Thursday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Australia’s proposed ‘opt out’ law targets Big Tech algorithmslist 2 of 3Australia seeks big tech support for internet safety, AI regulationlist 3 of 3Mexico to force Meta, TikTok, and X to better protect minors on platformend of list“This proceeding raises important questions about the design and operation of social media platforms and their impact on children and teenagers in Australia. Those questions will now be considered through the Federal Court process,” MinterEllison Partner William Nolan said in the statement.The class action suit was filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by Meta while they were below the age of 18.In a suppression order on Monday, the court prohibited the reporting of any information that could reveal their identities and the statement of claim.“We are aware of this claim and we will defend ourselves vigorously,” a Meta spokesperson said.Litigation Lending Services said it was funding the class action for Australian families who “would have no practical means of pursuing these claims against a global technology giant”.The lawsuit comes amid rising tensions between Australia and Big Tech after a world-first ban on social media for children below 16 in 2025, and newly proposed rules that could let users switch off algorithm-driven content on their feeds.Meta agreed in August to pay $18bn to settle with nearly all US states to resolve claims that it designed social media to addict children.