Florida lawsuit against Netflix over data privacy

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the streaming service engaged in deceptive practices regarding data privacy and the collection of children’s information.

The 66-page complaint, filed in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, claims that Netflix misled consumers by marketing itself as a private, ad-free service while subsequently launching an advertising-supported tier in November 2022. The state alleges that Netflix used behavioral data—including device information, locations, and content interactions such as pauses, searches, and skips—to build an advertising infrastructure and train algorithms.

A primary focus of the legal action involves ‘Netflix Kids Profiles.’ Florida officials argue these profiles, specifically those designed for children under 12, were marketed as safe spaces for minors but were actually subject to the same data-collection systems used for adult accounts to fuel advertising. The lawsuit also criticizes features like default autoplay for being designed to extend viewing time and maximize data collection.

Seeking damages that could potentially reach into the billions of dollars, the state cites violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. The lawsuit also requests a court order to stop Netflix from monetizing user data and to compel the company to purge improperly collected information from Florida residents. Netflix has rejected the allegations, stating the lawsuit ‘lacks merit’ and expressing its intention to defend itself, asserting that the company complies with all data protection laws.