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AUSTIN, Texas - Texas has filed a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix, accusing the company of secretly collecting and sharing user data, while misleading consumers about its privacy practices.
Allegations of secret data collection
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What we know:
In the lawsuit, Texas alleges Netflix told users it did not collect or monetize extensive personal data but in reality tracked detailed viewing behavior, searches and interactions to build consumer profiles.
Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, claims the company shared data with advertisers and data brokers, contradicting years of statements that Netflix previously claimed would remain ad-free and not rely on user data.
Concerns over child privacy, addictive features
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What they're saying:
The complaint also focuses on children, alleging Netflix collected behavioral data from kids' profiles while marketing them as safe spaces. It further accuses the company of using features like autoplay to keep users watching longer and generate more data.
"Netflix has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans’ personal data without their consent," Paxton said in a statement.
The state is seeking civil penalties and court orders to stop data collection without consent, restrict the use of children’s data and require changes such as disabling autoplay by default on kids' profiles.
Future of streaming privacy
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What's next:
Texas argues Netflix built its business in part on promises that differentiated it from other tech platforms, promises the state now says were broken.
The lawsuit is in its early stages, and the allegations have not yet been proven in court.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Office of the Texas Attorney General.