Texas AG Paxton sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids

Texas is suing streaming giant Netflix for allegedly spying on children and collecting users’ data without their knowledge or consent.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday, May 11, that he was filing suit against the streaming service, alleging violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and seeking to stop the unlawful collection and disclosure of user data, and to require Netflix to disable autoplay by default on kids’ profiles.

“Netflix is not the ad-free and kid-friendly platform it claims to be. Instead, it has misled consumers while exploiting their private data to make billions," Paxton said in a statement. "I will continue to work to protect Texas families from deceptive practices by Big Tech companies and ensure that corporations are held accountable under Texas law.” 

According to Paxton's office, it alleges the following:

• Netflix tracks and logs users’ viewing habits, preferences, devices, household networks, application usage, and other sensitive behavioral data on both adult and kids accounts.
• Netflix then uses this data to build detailed consumer profiles and sells them to other companies, with the platform making a profit off of it.
• Netflix also designs its platform to be addictive, including features like autoplay. 

The lawsuit was filed in the district court in Collin County and is requesting a trial by jury.

Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him: [email protected].