Daijiworld Media Network – Miami
Miami, Sep 11: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of misleading consumers about its data collection practices and exposing children to allegedly “addictive” design features.
The 66-page lawsuit alleges that Netflix carried out a “years-long bait-and-switch” by promoting its subscription service as an ad-free alternative to data-driven technology companies while assuring parents that its children's profiles were safe.
According to the complaint, Netflix collected information about how users interacted with the platform, including what they watched, clicked, paused, replayed and skipped. The state also alleged that the platform's autoplay feature was designed to keep users, including children, watching for longer periods while generating billions of behavioural data points.
“Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance. That was false,” Uthmeier said in a statement accompanying the lawsuit.
The attorney general alleged that Netflix eventually used the collected information to support its advertising business, despite previously assuring consumers that it would not adopt such a model.
Netflix introduced its ad-supported plan in November 2022 amid efforts to increase revenue following a slowdown in subscriber growth. The company currently offers Standard and Premium ad-free plans, along with a lower-priced Standard with ads plan.
Netflix, however, rejected the allegations and said it takes members' privacy seriously. A company spokesperson said Netflix complies with privacy and data-protection laws and has safeguards in place for children using the platform.
The company also said subscribers receive annual privacy statements and terms of use explaining its advertising and privacy practices. Members can manage advertising preferences and disable behavioural advertising, while parental controls allow parents to restrict content and manage autoplay features on children's profiles.
Florida's lawsuit seeks a jury trial and alleges violations of the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and Digital Bill of Rights. The state is also seeking an order requiring Netflix to purge data it claims was deceptively collected from Florida residents.
The lawsuit marks another legal challenge against Netflix over its handling of children's data. Four months earlier, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar complaint accusing Netflix of collecting user data without consent and “spying on” users, including children. Netflix had rejected those allegations as inaccurate and without merit.
Uthmeier's lawsuit also comes amid Florida's broader legal actions against major technology companies. His office previously sued OpenAI and TikTok over allegations involving consumer and child safety.