Meta sued in Australian class action over alleged social media harm to children
The class-action suit has been filed on behalf of eight plaintiffs, who allege they were harmed by Meta while they were under the age of 18, and are seeking compensation
Meta is facing a class action lawsuit in Australia over alleged harm to children from social media use. The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court by law firm MinterEllison, alleges that Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms exposed children to harmful content and used algorithms to keep them addicted while they were under 18. Eight plaintiffs are seeking compensation.
Meta claims it is using AI to detect child sexual abuse content on the platforms. The court has issued a suppression order preventing reporting of any information that could reveal the plaintiffs' identities. The lawsuit arises amid tensions between Australia and major tech companies, including a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 and proposed rules allowing users to switch off algorithm-driven content.
In August, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle claims it designed social media to addict children.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu - Sci-Tech's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 7 other outlets
- Meta sued in Australian class action over alleged social media harm to children myjoyonline.com
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- Meta sued in Australia class action alleging harm to children koreatimes.co.kr
- Meta sued in Australia class action over alleged social media harm to children economictimes.indiatimes.com
- 'Kept Children Addictive On Social Media': Meta Sued In Australia ndtv.com
- Meta sued in Australia class action over alleged social media harm to children channelnewsasia.com
