Meta faces Australian class action over alleged child harm on Facebook and Instagram
Australia is seeing a new legal challenge to major social media platforms as pressure builds on technology companies over child safety and platform design. A class action filed in the Federal Court alleges Meta's Facebook and Instagram exposed minors to harmful content and kept them engaged through algorithms.
Highlights
- Eight plaintiffs filed a class action in Australia's Federal Court alleging Meta harmed them as minors via Facebook and Instagram platform design.
- The court ordered suppression of applicants' identities and statement of claims as legal and regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech intensifies in Australia.
- Australia implemented a ban on social media for children under 16 and proposed rules to let users disable algorithm-driven feeds amid rising child safety concerns.
Federal Court case targets platform design
As reported by Reuters, the lawsuit was filed this month in Australia's Federal Court by law firm MinterEllison on behalf of eight plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by Meta while they were under 18 and are seeking compensation.The case could be the first in Australia to argue that a social media company harmed its users, particularly children and teenagers, through the way its platforms operate. Meta does not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a suppression order on Monday, the court prohibits the reporting of any information that could reveal the identity of the applicants and the statement of claims.
Regulatory pressure on Big Tech grows
The legal action emerges as tensions rise between Australia and major technology companies over child protection and the influence of algorithm-driven feeds.Australia has introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16, while newly proposed rules could allow users to switch off algorithm-driven content in their feeds. Meta also agrees in August to pay $18 billion to settle with nearly all U.S. states over claims that it designed social media to addict children.
In our earlier article on TikTok’s EU gatekeeper challenge under the Digital Markets Act, we covered a key court adviser’s opinion backing the European Commission’s designation of TikTok as a “gatekeeper.” The piece explained that if the court follows this recommendation, ByteDance could face stricter obligations that would shape how large platforms operate and comply with EU rules in the months ahead.
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