An Australian court has accepted a class action against Meta's Facebook and Instagram platforms, alleging that their algorithms exposed children to harmful content and encouraged dependency. According to Sina Finance, law firm MinterEllison filed the case in the Federal Court of Australia, the country's second-highest court, this month; it may be Australia's first lawsuit to blame social media platforms themselves for harm to users, particularly children and teenagers.

Eight plaintiffs brought the class action, saying they were harmed by Meta's social media platforms before turning 18 and are seeking compensation. On Monday, the court issued an injunction barring the disclosure of information that could reveal the plaintiffs' identities or details of their claims.

In August this year, Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle allegations that its social media design made children addicted, reaching an agreement with nearly all U.S. states. Tensions between Australia and major technology companies have also been rising: Australia introduced the world's first social media ban for people under 16 and proposed a new rule that would allow users to turn off algorithm-driven content recommendations in their feeds.