{
  "id": 16031151,
  "title": "Meta Sued in Australia Over Alleged Harm to Children",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/meta-sued-in-australia-over-alleged-harm-to-children",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-22T10:30:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Time",
    "slug": "time",
    "url": "https://time.com/article/2026/10/22/australia-class-action-meta-social-media-harm-children/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Australian law firm MinterEllison has filed a class action lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, on behalf of children and teenagers who allegedly suffered harm from the platforms' addictive design features and exposure to harmful content. The suit, filed in the Federal Court on October 9, seeks compensation for both current and former users. The class action, funded by Litigation Lending Services, is being brought on behalf of eight unnamed lead applicants. Australia's Federal Court has ordered a gag on reporting any information that could reveal the applicants' identities and statements of claim. The lawsuit aims to \"recover compensation for both current and former users\" of Meta's platforms and considers the impact of social media on children and teenagers in Australia.",
  "summary": "The social media giant faces a new class action lawsuit, days after the government said it would take action against the company for failing to comply with safety regulations.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}