Australian legal action eyed after Meta's US settlement

A mother, fuelled by the love of her late son and a landmark US settlement, has implored Australians to "stand together" in a potential legal fight with social media giants.

Clare McCann's 13-year-old son Atreyu took his own life in May 2025 after he was bullied at school and exposed to harmful TikTok content.

"We did everything together. We were so close. I raised him to be a kind, beautiful, smart, caring boy."

Ms McCann took Atreyu out of school when the bullying became too much.

While at home, the teen had a child-restricted phone and his mother believed TikTok was an age-appropriate app as it carried a 12+ age rating before Australia's social media ban for under 16s came into effect in December.

"My son, 13 years old and in an extraordinarily vulnerable state, he didn't stand a chance against systems that are designed to hold a child's attention and expose them to material capable of reinforcing your darkest thoughts," Ms McCann said.

"Children should not become collateral damage in the pursuit of engagement and profit."

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, this week agreed to pay up to $US18 billion ($A25 billion) in a US legal settlement.

The lawsuit accused Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing addictive features for children. Meta denied wrongdoing.

Shine Lawyers, which is representing Ms McCann, is investigating potential Australian legal action against Meta and other social media giants.

The firm is working with US trial lawyer Mark Lanier, who led a successful Californian case against Meta and Google's YouTube.

"The recent settlement in the United States is a major moment in the global conversation about the responsibilities of social media companies and the safety of young users," Shine Lawyers' Craig Allsopp said.

"We are now examining whether similar legal issues arise in Australia, including whether Australian children and families may have claims connected to the design, operation and promotion of social media platforms."

Ms McCann called for Australian parents who believe their children have been harmed by social media to come forward and "all stand together and demand accountability".