Published October 26, 2026
The legal fight over social media and young people's mental health has opened a new front outside the United States. Australian law firm MinterEllison has filed a class action against Meta in Australia's Federal Court on behalf of children and teenagers who allege they were harmed by Facebook and Instagram, TIME reported on October 22. The claim was filed on October 9 and announced publicly this week.
According to TIME, the suit targets two things: design features alleged to be addictive, and young users' exposure to harmful content on the platforms. It seeks compensation for both current and former users. The case is backed by Sydney-based litigation funder Litigation Lending Services. Eight lead applicants are named in the filing, but the court has ordered that nothing identifying them or the contents of their statements of claim be published.
A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that the company is aware of the claim and intends to defend itself vigorously, TIME reported. None of the allegations has been tested in court.
MinterEllison is not the only Australian firm looking at these claims. In September, Lawyers Weekly reported that Queensland firm Carter Capner Law was investigating a separate proposed class action against Meta under the Australian Consumer Law, focused on whether platform design impaired users' ability to disengage. TIME also noted that the Australian government has said it will take action against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube over alleged failures to comply with the country's laws.
The Australian filing does not change anything for U.S. claimants — it is a separate case under a separate legal system. But it tracks the same core theory that U.S. plaintiffs have been pressing for years: that the products themselves were built in ways that kept young users hooked. In the U.S., that theory has already produced a jury verdict against Meta and YouTube in Los Angeles, a large settlement with state attorneys general, and a continuing schedule of bellwether trials. Growing pressure abroad adds to the legal and regulatory scrutiny Meta faces worldwide.
If a child or teen in your family has experienced depression, anxiety, an eating disorder, self-harm or other serious harm linked to heavy social media use, see Atumio's social media addiction case page for a free eligibility review, or start your case review directly.