Staff Reporter|Published
Meta and its Facebook and Instagram platforms are facing a class action lawsuit in Australia over claims that features designed to keep users engaged are addictive and are harming children and teenagers.
The suit filed in the Federal Court on behalf of eight applicants seeks to recover compensation for Facebook and Instagram users who were exposed to harmful content or developed an addiction to social media, law firm Minter Ellison and Litigation Lending said in a statement.
The Federal Court in Sydney issued on Monday that a suppression order stopping publication of details of the claim and the identity of the applicants, court documents show.
On the defence
"We are aware of this claim and we will defend ourselves vigorously," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.
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".
"This proceeding raises important questions about the design and operation of social media platforms and their impact on children and teenagers in Australia," Minter Ellison partner William Nolan said in a statement.
In August, Meta agreed to pay up to US$17.7 billion (R289.75 billion) in the United States to settle claims that it deliberately engineered its platforms to hook young users.
International scrutiny
The Australian case comes amid growing international scrutiny of social media's impact on young people.
Australia introduced minimum-age restrictions in December 2025, requiring platforms including Facebook and Instagram to take reasonable steps to prevent children under 16 from holding accounts. The measures place the responsibility on social media companies to enforce the restrictions, rather than on children or their parents.
The legal action also follows a major US settlement announced in August, when Meta agreed to pay up to US$17.1 billion to resolve claims brought by a coalition of state attorneys-general alleging that Facebook and Instagram were designed to maximise young users' engagement despite the risks to children.
The settlement also included commitments to introduce additional child-safety measures. Meta has denied wrongdoing in the case.
AFP
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