(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a bipartisan coalition of 42 attorneys across the nation to sue Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

The suit alleges that Meta knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and other social media platforms that purposefully addict children and teens. In addition, the suit alleges Meta falsely assured the public that app features behave safely and suitably for young users.

34 four states, including Minnesota and Ellison, filed a federal complaint in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The coalition asserts that Meta’s business practices violate state and federal consumer protection laws,

Ellison cites Aza Raskin, the original developer of the infinite scroll concept in identifying the apps’ addictive qualities: “If you don’t give your brain time to catch up with your impulses, you just keep scrolling.”

“It’s my job to protect Minnesotans, especially the most vulnerable. Meta is very intentionally trying to manipulate our children and teens into spending as much time on their platforms as possible, despite knowing this is causing serious harm,” said Ellison.

According to the office of Attorney General Ellison, much of the complaint relies on currently confidential resources not yet available to the public, such as information released by and between Meta employees.

— RELATED: States sue Meta claiming its social platforms are addictive and harm children’s mental health —