EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of illegally collecting and profiting from Texans\u2019 personal data \u2014 including information tied to children \u2014 without users\u2019 knowledge or consent.<\/p>\n
Paxton alleges Netflix represented for years that it did not collect or share extensive user data. The lawsuit claims that, in reality, Netflix tracks and logs users\u2019 viewing habits, preferences, devices, household networks, application usage and other sensitive behavioral data, turning \u201cevery interaction on the platform\u201d into a data point that reveals information about the user. The allegations say the tracking extends beyond adult accounts to kids\u2019 profiles as well.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit also alleges Netflix disclosed user information to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, where it was combined with data from other platforms to build detailed consumer profiles. It claims users\u2019 data is \u201cshopped across Big Ad Tech\u2019s shadowy network,\u201d and that Netflix earns billions of dollars each year from secretly selling consumer data.<\/p>\n
In addition, Paxton\u2019s lawsuit accuses Netflix of designing its platform to be addictive through features intended to manipulate users into taking actions Netflix wants them to take. The filing points to autoplay as an example, describing it as a function that creates a continuous stream of content intended to keep users \u2014 including children \u2014 watching for extended periods of time.<\/p>\n
Netflix has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans\u2019 personal data without their consent, and my office will do everything in our power to stop it,\u201d Paxton said. \u201cNetflix is not the ad-free and kid-friendly platform it claims to be. Instead, it has misled consumers while exploiting their private data to make billions. I will continue to work to protect Texas families from deceptive practices by Big Tech companies and ensure that corporations are held accountable under Texas law.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Paxton is seeking to hold Netflix accountable under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The lawsuit seeks to stop what it describes as the unlawful collection and disclosure of user data, require Netflix to disable autoplay by default on kids\u2019 profiles, and obtain other injunctive relief and civil penalties.<\/p>\n
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