Meta faces Australian lawsuit over alleged social media harm to children
Class action could be first in Australia to blame social media for harming its users.
![The cases comes amidst a wave of 40 lawsuits brought against Meta alleging the social media giant prioritized profits over safety for kids [File: Dado Ruvic/Reuters]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2026-02-09T103924Z_565968379_RC2VPGAKTI7X_RTRMADP_3_EU-META-PLATFORMS-AI-ANTITRUST-1770666518.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Mental Health
![Adult campers gather at digital detox camp Camp Grounded in Mendocino County, California [Courtesy of Camp Grounded]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Camp-Grounded-3-1791745279.png?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![A 7-year-old teenage boy and a 11-year-old teenage girl look at a phone screen with social media networking apps are displayed on December 07, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. [George Chan/Getty Images]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/getty_6ab70bdcd5-1790381020.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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In Gaza, actors perform a war they are still living
In Gaza, Palestinian actors turn stories of siege and loss into theatre, while confronting the same fears and hardships.
Australia’s proposed ‘opt out’ law targets Big Tech algorithms
Social media platforms face scrutiny over addictive algorithms; new law aims to give Australians greater feed control.
![The Australian government plans to introduce legislation this week that would require social media platforms to give users an option to turn off recommended algorithms [File: Saeed Khan/AFP]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/AFP__20251209__87HR3Z4__v1__HighRes__AustraliaInternetBan-1788741598.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Why potluck parties are making a big comeback in America
As Americans spend less time socialising, communities are rediscovering an old way of bringing people together.
![Community members raise their arms during a gratitude poem at a supper in Westbrook, Maine, in July 2025 [Courtesy of Community Plate]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/IMG_3173-1788383247.jpeg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Israeli flags become the latest weapon of settlers in West Bank domination
Israel’s visual colonisation aims to make Palestinians feel like guests in their own homeland.
Gunman in deadly Swiss rave shooting was a ‘lone perpetrator’, police say
Police say no indication anyone else involved in attack that killed 22-year-old Italian woman.
How does your name taste? The strange science of synaesthesia
Experiencing names as tastes – a form of synaesthesia – reveals how differently people perceive the same world.
![An illustration of a synesthete hearing a voice and tasting orange juice [Jawahir Al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/nils-final-1787963447.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Meta agrees to settlement, platform changes in youth addiction case
Meta settles $16.68bn lawsuit over child addiction claims, agreeing to major changes in Facebook and Instagram features.
Dr TikTok: Mental health moves from consulting rooms to social media
Social media fosters empathy and awareness, but cannot replace evidence-based treatment or formal psychological care.
![Mental health content has become increasingly visible across social media platforms, where users encounter psychoeducation, peer support and advice through algorithm-driven feeds. [Yasemin Caglayan/Al Jazeera]](https://aljazeeranews-3fuh52rgrl.edgeone.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/IMG_0666-1787245977.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Landmark trial on Meta’s impact on children’s mental health begins in US
Parent company for Facebook and Instagram is accused of deliberately designing its platforms to get children addicted.
EXPLAINER
Meta lawsuits: Is social media facing a global legal reckoning?
Meta battles legal challenges in the US, Europe and beyond over platform design and its impact on younger users.
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