Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, faces a class action lawsuit in Australia after eight plaintiffs claim the platforms allow children access to harmful content and use algorithms that cause user addiction.
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has been sued in a class action in the Australian Federal Court, accused of enabling children to access harmful content on its social media platforms and using algorithms that foster addictive behavior among users.
The case was filed in October by the law firm MinterEllison, representing eight plaintiffs who allege they were harmed by using Meta’s platforms while under 18 years old and are seeking compensation from the company.
This lawsuit may be among the first in Australia to directly accuse a social media platform of causing harm to its users, particularly children and teenagers.
Meta has yet to respond to requests for comment on the case, while the court issued an order on Monday prohibiting the publication of any information that could identify the plaintiffs or disclose detailed contents of the complaint.
In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion USD to settle claims with nearly all U.S. states accusing the company of designing social media platforms that foster addictive behavior in children.
This Australian case comes amid rising tensions between the Australian government and major tech companies, following Australia’s introduction of a global first measure banning social media use by children under 16, alongside proposals allowing users to disable algorithmically curated content on their feeds.
Source:channelnewsasia
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