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

SYDNEY, Oct 22 : 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.