Netflix sued by Texas for “spying” on viewers to make them ‘addicted’

by

Texas is suing Netflix, alleging the company secretly tracks viewers and designs its service to be addictive.

I just heard that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Netflix! Apparently, he’s claiming the platform is intentionally designed to be super addictive and that they’re tracking everything we watch. It’s pretty wild to think about!

Attorney General Paxton stated that Netflix has created a system to gather Texans’ private information without permission, using it for profit, and that his office is committed to halting this illegal activity.

The Attorney General criticized the platform for not living up to its promises of being both ad-free and safe for children. His concerns originated in 2022, when he noted that Netflix appeared to be promoting its subscription service as a way to avoid data tracking by larger tech companies – essentially, paying a monthly fee to protect your privacy.

Texas sues Netflix with new lawsuit

Paxton stated that Netflix collected data from every user action on the platform, including information from children’s accounts. He intends to hold Netflix responsible for these practices under Texas law designed to prevent deceptive business practices.

The Attorney General would aim to halt Netflix from illegally gathering and sharing user information, and would also ask them to turn off the automatic playing of shows and movies on profiles designated for children.

The lawsuit, filed in Collin County, Texas, is asking the court for both a resolution to the issue and financial penalties from the streaming service.

According to a BBC report, a recent lawsuit defeat for Meta and Google regarding claims of social media “addiction” might open the door for more similar cases.

Netflix responds to Texas lawsuit

Netflix responded to the lawsuit by telling USA Today it’s without basis and that they plan to defend themselves in court.

Netflix stated that the lawsuit filed against them by the state of Texas and Attorney General Paxton is without foundation and relies on false information. The company emphasized its commitment to protecting the privacy of its members and adhering to all relevant privacy and data protection laws.

As a big fan, I’m really disappointed to hear about the claims from the Texas Attorney General. But honestly, I’m confident things will be clarified in court. I know the company has always prioritized making things safe and easy for kids, with great parental controls, and they’ve always been upfront about how they handle privacy – I’m glad they’ll have a chance to show that.

So, Netflix is getting sued again this year. It started back in April when a court in Rome said their price hikes were actually illegal. That means people who got hit with the higher prices might be able to get their money back, which is pretty big news for us subscribers!

Read More

2026-05-14 16:19