Meta faces Australian lawsuit over alleged social media harm to children

Meta, Facebook and Instagram face a class action in the Australian Federal Court alleging that addictive platform design harmed children and teenagers. Filed by law firm MinterEllison on behalf of eight plaintiffs who say they were under 18 when harmed, the case seeks compensation for exposure to harmful content or social media addiction. A suppression order bars publication of information that could identify the plaintiffs or reveal the claim, and Meta says it will defend itself vigorously. Funded by Litigation Lending Services, the case follows Australia’s 2025 ban on social media for under-16s and Meta’s August agreement to pay $18bn to settle claims brought by nearly all US states.