In a bold legal move, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix. The core of the lawsuit, filed this past Monday, revolves around allegations that Netflix has reneged on its commitment to remain an ad-free and child-safe platform. Paxton contends that Netflix has compromised the privacy of Texans by exposing their data to the very advertising technology networks it once criticized for user exploitation.
According to the lawsuit, Netflix has purportedly developed a “behavior-surveillance program” that incorporates addictive elements such as autoplay. These features are designed to keep viewers continuously engaged, a strategy that Paxton suggests is more about data gathering than user convenience.
Expressing his concerns in a press release, Paxton emphasizes, “Netflix has constructed a surveillance system intended to unlawfully collect and profit from the personal data of Texans without their consent. My office is committed to halting these practices.” He further accuses Netflix of not living up to its image as an ad-free, family-friendly service, alleging that the company has misled consumers while capitalizing on their private information to amass significant profits.
The lawsuit invokes the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, with Paxton urging the judiciary to prohibit Netflix’s “unlawful collection and disclosure” of user data. Additionally, he seeks a mandate to ensure that the autoplay feature is disabled by default on children’s profiles, aiming to protect young viewers from excessive screen time and unwanted data collection.
