Florida Attorney General Ashley Uthmeier announced Wednesday that the state has filed a lawsuit against streaming giant Netflix, alleging the company misled subscribers by promising an ad‑free, privacy‑focused experience while secretly harvesting years of behavioral data, including from children’s profiles.
Allegations of deceptive practices
The 66‑page complaint claims Netflix built its brand on the promise that a monthly subscription would let families avoid the surveillance‑driven advertising model used by other major tech firms. Instead, the state alleges Netflix quietly collected extensive user data before launching its ad‑supported tier in November 2022.
“Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance. That was false,” Uthmeier said in a news release. “Netflix collected detailed data on children and families, designed its product to keep kids watching, and then commercialized that information to launch the advertising business it promised never to build.”
Executive statements cited
The lawsuit points to public statements from Netflix executives, including former CEO Reed Hastings, who told investors in a 2020 earnings call that Netflix was “not integrating everybody’s data” and that the company “doesn’t collect anything,” describing the service as “the safe respite” from advertising‑driven platforms.
Data‑collection practices
According to the complaint, Netflix tracks billions of user interactions—what subscribers watch, search for, pause, rewind, skip, and abandon—along with device and location information. The state says the company uses this telemetry to improve recommendation algorithms and to support its advertising business.
Particular emphasis is placed on Netflix’s Kids Profiles, marketed as dedicated spaces for children. The complaint alleges Netflix encouraged parents to create these profiles by promoting them as “Great for kids” and a child’s “own space,” while continuing to collect and analyze viewing behavior through the same telemetry systems used for adult accounts.
Alleged “dark patterns”
The suit also accuses Netflix of employing “dark patterns” to keep viewers engaged. Autoplay, enabled by default on Kids Profiles, is described as intentionally designed to extend viewing sessions, increase binge‑watching, and generate additional behavioral data, especially from minors.
Legal claims
Florida alleges Netflix violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. Among other claims, the state says Netflix unlawfully shared sensitive personal data collected from children without obtaining the consent required under state law.
Uthmeier is seeking a permanent injunction to block the alleged practices, an order requiring Netflix to delete data the state says was deceptively collected, a ban on using historical subscriber data to support its advertising business, a purge of behavioral data gathered through Kids Profiles, and civil penalties authorized under Florida law.
Netflix response
Netflix has not responded to a request for comment from Fox News Digital at the time of publication.
The lawsuit reflects growing concerns among state officials about the privacy implications of data‑driven advertising models, especially when they involve minors. Florida’s action joins a broader national conversation about how tech companies handle user data and the adequacy of existing consumer‑protection statutes.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
