Meta Faces Landmark Australia Class Action Over Child Social Media Harm
Meta Platforms hit with landmark Australia class action lawsuit in Federal Court over Facebook and Instagram child addiction and harmful content risks.
POLICY WIRE — Sydney, Australia — Social media titan Meta Platforms has been hit with a groundbreaking class action lawsuit in the Federal Court of Australia, accusing its Facebook and Instagram platforms of exposing minors to dangerous material and utilizing addictive algorithms.
Brought forward by law firm MinterEllison earlier this month, the litigation represents an Australia-first legal challenge holding a major technology company accountable for youth psychological distress and platform-driven dependency.
Court documentation reveals the legal action is being pursued on behalf of eight unnamed lead applicants, targeting Meta alongside its local subsidiaries Facebook Australia and Instagram.
The high-stakes litigation underscores mounting scrutiny over digital child safety and interface design principles, as regulators and legal experts increasingly challenge major tech corporations across the globe.
Separately, law firm Maurice Blackburn has expressed intentions to organize a potential class action against both Meta and Google in Australia, following a United States court ruling determining that the tech giants caused harm to children.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
