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(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a bipartisan coalition of 42 lawyers from around the country to sue Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
The complaint alleges that Meta intentionally designed and introduced harmful features on Instagram and other social media platforms that were intentionally addictive to children and teens. The lawsuit further alleges that Meta falsely assured the public that the app’s features worked safely and appropriately for young users.
Thirty-four states, including Minnesota and Ellison, filed the federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The coalition alleges that Meta’s business practices violate state and federal consumer protection laws.
In identifying the addictive nature of the app, Ellison quotes Aza Raskin, the original developer of the concept of infinite scrolling, saying, “If you don’t give your brain time to catch up with the urge, it will just scroll.” We just keep going,” he said.
“It’s my job to protect Minnesotans, especially those who are most vulnerable. Meth is dangerous to our children and teens, even though we know it causes significant harm. “We try to very deliberately manipulate people to spend as much time as possible on their platform,” Ellison said.
Attorney General Ellison’s office said much of the complaint relies on confidential resources that are not currently available to the public, including information shared between Meta employees.
— RELATED: State sues Meth, claiming its social platform is addictive and harms children’s mental health —
