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

A class action lawsuit has been filed in an Australian court against Meta Platforms, alleging that its Facebook and Instagram platforms exposed children to harmful content and kept them addicted through algorithms. The lawsuit, filed this month by law firm MinterEllison in the Federal Court, could be the first in Australia to blame social media for harming its users, particularly children and teenagers. The suit has been filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by Meta while under the age of 18 and are seeking compensation. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle with nearly all US states over claims it designed social media to addict children. The lawsuit comes amid rising tensions between Australia and Big Tech, including a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 and proposed rules allowing users to switch off algorithm-driven content.