PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In late October, Oregon and Washington joined 31 other states in a lawsuit against Meta. Now, newly released court documents reveal why several states have accused the tech company of harming its younger users.

According to the 233-page complaint filed on Nov. 22, about 22 million U.S. teens log onto Instagram — which is owned by Meta — every day. Plaintiffs alleged that the parent company intentionally targets younger users so they’ll spend more time online.

Because higher engagement leads to more money for advertisers, the plaintiffs additionally accused Meta of using its audience to maximize profits. In 2017, the court documents claim that an employee suggested that the company convince more teens to share their location so advertisements could be more tailored to high school students.

The complaint also alleged that disappearing Instagram stories were launched in 2016 to give teens “FOMO”, or fear of missing out, and encourage them to open Meta apps more frequently.

The documents went on to connect Instagram and Facebook ‘filters’, a feature that changes users’ physical appearance, to mental health problems and self-confidence issues among the youth.

Plaintiffs said Meta leaders attempted to notify CEO Mark Zuckerberg of how the filters were “actively encouraging young girls into body dysmorphia”, but he dismissed their concerns.

Furthermore, the complaint claims that the company was aware of Instagram and Facebook users under 13, but failed to obtain the required consent from their parents.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, along with several other state officials who joined in on the lawsuit, asserted that Meta violated the Consumer Protection Act multiple times by targeting young users.

“The evidence is clear — Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s top executives knew and disregarded the extensive risks that addictive features on Instagram and Facebook posed to children,” Ferguson said in a statement. “They ignored repeated warnings from their employees and researchers, and exploited harmful features to maximize profit. My office will continue doing everything we can to protect the mental health of Washington youth.