Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has initiated legal action against Netflix, alleging the streaming service improperly collects user data and designs its platform to encourage addiction.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday in a Dallas-area court, claims that Netflix operates as a vast data repository, logging users' viewing habits and preferences. Paxton argues that Netflix is effectively spying on its subscribers, including children, and utilizes this information to assist advertisers.
The complaint highlights features like the default 'autoplay' function, which automatically plays successive episodes, potentially fostering addictive viewing behaviors among young audiences.
When you watch Netflix, Netflix watches you.
Texas Lawsuit
In response, Netflix stated that the lawsuit lacks merit and is based on misleading information. The company emphasized its commitment to user privacy and compliance with data protection laws.
Paxton, who is currently campaigning for a U.S. Senate seat, criticized Netflix, asserting that it misrepresents itself as a family-friendly platform while exploiting consumer data for profit.
The lawsuit seeks to prevent Netflix from collecting or disclosing user data during the litigation and demands civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation under Texas's Deceptive Trade Practices Act. The case follows a similar precedent as the recent case where the {"t":"Texas Attorney General Sues Netflix for Alleged Illegal Data Collection","h":"/technology/texas-attorney-general-sues-netflix-for-alleged-illegal-data-collection"}.