Meta Faces Class Action Lawsuit in Australia Over Harm to Children

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a class action lawsuit in Australia filed on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm due to the platforms' addictive design features and exposure to harmful content. The lawsuit was filed in Australia's Federal Court on October 9 by law firm MinterEllison, which announced the action on Wednesday, stating its aim is to "recover compensation for both current and former users."

The legal action, funded by Litigation Lending Services, was initiated with eight unnamed lead applicants. The Federal Court has issued a gag order preventing the reporting of any information that could identify these applicants or their statements of claim. MinterEllison Partner William Nolan noted that the proceeding "raises important questions about the design and operation of social media platforms and their impact on children and teenagers in Australia."

A Meta spokesperson told Reuters, "We are aware of this claim and we will defend ourselves vigorously."

This lawsuit follows several legal challenges against Meta in the United States. In March, a jury in Los Angeles ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million to a plaintiff in a social media addiction trial. In August, a New Mexico court mandated that Meta pay over $900 million and implement reforms, including rigorous age verification and time limits for users under 18. Also in August, Meta agreed to a settlement of up to $18 billion to resolve a nationwide lawsuit alleging its platforms were designed to be addictive and harmful to children.

Rob Nicholls, a senior researcher at the University of Sydney specializing in digital regulations, expressed that the Australian class action was not surprising given the U.S. cases. He suggested that while the U.S. lawsuits focused on negligence, the Australian suit is likely to involve both negligence and the consequences of supplying an unsafe product.

Australia has been active in regulating social media platforms for child safety. In December 2025, the country implemented a ban on social media accounts for individuals under 16, a measure that has seen mixed results, with the online regulator eSafety reporting that 42% of children aged 10 to 15 still possess social media accounts. Communications Minister Anika Wells stated that while there was an initial high number of account deactivations, the rate has since slowed. She also noted that the eSafety Commissioner believes the five major platforms could enhance their compliance with the law, and the Commission is investigating potential violations.

In September, Australia increased penalties for non-compliant social media firms, with a maximum penalty of 109.2 million Australian dollars (approximately $76 million) for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent underage Australians from creating or maintaining accounts. However, Wells indicated that financial penalties might not be sufficient to drive change, emphasizing the need for cultural shifts in how platforms operate and are used.