MinterEllison Files Class Action Against Meta Over Child Safety

Law firm MinterEllison filed a class action lawsuit in the Federal Court of Australia against Meta Platforms' Facebook and Instagram. The suit represents eight plaintiffs who were under 18 at the time of the alleged harm, claiming the platforms utilized addictive algorithms and exposed children to harmful content. The plaintiffs are seeking compensation for damages.

The Federal Court of Australia issued a suppression order on October 20, prohibiting the disclosure of the statement of claims and the identities of the applicants. This legal action follows a recent $18 billion settlement Meta reached with nearly all U.S. states over similar allegations regarding the design of addictive social media for children.

The lawsuit coincides with the implementation of a world-first social media ban for children under 16 in Australia. Additionally, the Australian government has proposed new rules that would allow users to disable algorithm-driven feeds.