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If you also watch web series and movies on Netflix day and night, then this news may surprise you. The US state of Texas has made serious allegations against Netflix, saying that the platform is not only entertaining you, but is also keeping an eye on your every activity. It has been claimed that information like what the user is watching, for how long he is watching and what he is dwelling on the most, is being recorded.

It has also been said that Netflix uses “addictive” features like auto-play to keep people glued to the screen for longer periods of time. Most concern has been expressed regarding children’s data. In such a situation, the question is arising whether OTT platforms are just a means of entertainment or have they also become a new way to monitor the digital habits and personal information of the users?

What is the matter?

In the complaint filed in the Texas court, it has been said that Netflix records every activity of the users. According to the report, the company notes which show a person clicks on, how long he stays on any content and what he likes to watch. It is alleged that all this information was used not just to improve the platform, but to understand the behavior of the users and earn money from it.

Accused of using children’s data also

The lawsuit also says that after 2022, Netflix further increased its use of data to children and families. The Texas administration claims that the company shared this information with commercial data companies, which earned it billions of dollars. The biggest concern has been expressed that features like auto-play were kept on even on the profiles of children, so that they keep watching the content continuously.

Did Netflix break trust?

The report also mentions the old statement of former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. He had said in 2019 and 2020 that Netflix is ​​not like companies that sell users’ data or use it for advertising. But the Texas government says that the company created a large-scale data collection system behind the scenes. The complaint said that people subscribed to Netflix because they wanted to avoid surveillance like social media platforms, but the company itself started doing the same thing.

Questions on ‘auto play’ features also

Netflix’s auto-play feature has also been targeted in the lawsuit. It is alleged that features like automatically starting the next episode keep people on the screen for a long time. In the last few years, questions have been raised on such designs of social media and streaming platforms across the world. Experts believe that continuous content can affect the habits of children and youth.

What does the Texas government want?

The Texas administration has demanded from the court that:

• Netflix must delete data it allegedly collected from Texas residents.
• Stop using users’ data for targeted ads.
• Auto-play feature should be turned off by default in children’s profiles.
• If the court finds these allegations true, then a heavy fine can also be imposed on Netflix.

What did Netflix say?

Netflix has called all these allegations baseless. The company says that it takes the privacy of its users seriously and follows the data security laws of every country. According to the company, the allegations made by Texas are based on “false and distorted information” and it will respond to them in court.