Tech giant Meta is facing a class action lawsuit in the Australian Federal Court over allegations that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, employ addictive design features that cause harm to young users.
The legal proceedings were initiated by law firm MinterEllison on behalf of eight individuals who state they experienced harm while below the age of 18. The action seeks to secure compensation for current and past users who claim they developed an addiction or were subjected to damaging content while using the applications.
On Monday, the court issued a suppression order preventing the disclosure of any information that could identify the eight plaintiffs, while also prohibiting reporting on the contents of the statement of claim.
William Nolan, a partner at MinterEllison, noted that the litigation will examine how such digital services function. “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,” Nolan said in a statement.
Meta rejected the allegations, with a company spokesperson stating: “We are aware of this claim and we will defend ourselves vigorously.”
The legal effort is being backed financially by Litigation Lending Services, which stated it is assisting families who “would have no practical means of pursuing these claims against a global technology giant”.
The court case follows a period of mounting regulatory scrutiny in Australia, which in 2025 introduced a world-first ban on social media access for children younger than 16. Officials have also introduced proposals that would allow platform users to opt out of algorithm-driven content feeds. In August, Meta agreed to pay $18bn to resolve claims brought by nearly all US states alleging that it deliberately designed services to addict children.
