Meta faces Australian lawsuit over alleged social media harm to children

Meta and its platforms Facebook and Instagram are facing a class action lawsuit in Australia over allegations that addictive design features cause harm to children and teenagers. The legal action could mark the first class action in Australia blaming social media for causing harm to its users.

The case was submitted to the Australian Federal Court by the law firm MinterEllison. According to a statement released by the firm on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, the lawsuit aims to obtain financial compensation for current and former Facebook and Instagram users who allege they developed social media addictions or were exposed to harmful material while using the services.

“This proceeding raises important questions about the design and operation of social media platforms and their impact on children and teenagers in Australia. Those questions will now be considered through the Federal Court process,”

The litigation was brought on behalf of eight plaintiffs who state that Meta harmed them while they were under 18 years of age. A suppression order issued by the court on Monday forbids the disclosure of any information that could reveal the identities of the plaintiffs or the contents of the statement of claim.