HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut is among the states suing Meta Platforms Inc. for allegedly harming young people’s mental health and contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

The federal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, violating federal law.

“Meta saw American kids as a ‘valuable and untapped market’—nameless factors on a bottom line to maximize profits,” Attorny General William Tong said. “They enabled kids to access addictive platforms riddled with harmful messages built to override self-control that one developer likened to ‘behavioral cocaine.’ Their abusive practices have unleashed a youth mental health catastrophe.”

In a statement, Meta said it shares “the attorneys general’s commitment to providing teens with safe, positive experiences online, and have already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families.”

“We’re disappointed that instead of working productively with companies across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use, the attorneys general have chosen this path,” the company added.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.