Texas accuses Netflix of spying on users, including children

Texas is suing Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of deceptive practices and violating state law. The lawsuit alleges Netflix misled users, including children, by claiming it did not collect or monetize their data for advertising, despite former CEO Reed Hastings' past statements. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office contends Netflix used "addictive" features and extensive logging of user activity to keep subscribers engaged. The state claims Netflix then leveraged this collected data, sharing it with commercial data brokers to generate billions in revenue, contradicting its advertised promise of an escape from Big Tech surveillance. The lawsuit asserts Netflix broke its subscription bargain by constructing the very data-collection system users paid to avoid.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Netflix, alleging the streaming giant illegally spies on children and other users by collecting data without consent. The lawsuit, filed on Monday, claims Netflix falsely represented that it did not collect or share user data, while in reality, it tracked and sold viewing habits to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies for profit. The complaint also accuses Netflix of using "dark patterns," such as an autoplay feature, to encourage users to continue watching. The suit aims to hold Netflix accountable for these alleged practices.