Texas Attorney General Sues Netflix, Alleges Illegal User Data Tracking Leading to Addiction
The Texas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against video streaming platform Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of improperly collecting user data and designing its platform to be addictive. The lawsuit specifically highlights features like autoplay, especially impacting younger audiences. Netflix denies the allegations, stating the claims are baseless.
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- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 11:14
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Central News Agency
(Central News Agency, New York, 11th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Texas Attorney General today filed a lawsuit against the video streaming platform Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of improperly collecting user data and designing its platform to be addictive.
Agence France-Presse reported that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, filed a 59-page complaint with the Dallas district court, opening with: “While you’re watching Netflix, Netflix is watching you.”
According to a press release describing Netflix as surveilling Texas children and consumers, Paxton characterized the streaming media as a massive database that tracks and records users' viewing habits, preferences, and “other sensitive behavioral data.”
The lawsuit alleges that Netflix provides this input data to advertisers so they can more precisely target the company's subscribers.
The lawsuit also accuses Netflix of employing technologies that make young viewers addicted to the Netflix platform, including the “autoplay” feature which starts by default and includes children's accounts, meaning that once one show ends, another episode automatically begins to play.
According to Reuters, many companies, including social media and other enterprises with strong online influence, have become targets of lawsuits, accused of secretly tracking users and selling the generated data to third parties, who then use this data for advertising.
Netflix stated in a statement to Agence France-Presse: “This lawsuit is baseless and based on inaccurate and distorted information.”
“Netflix takes the privacy of our members seriously and complies with privacy and data protection laws everywhere we operate.”
The lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting Netflix from collecting or disclosing consumer data during the litigation.
The complaint also seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 (approximately NT$310,000) for each violation of the Texas “Deceptive Trade Practices Act.” (Compiler: Li Pei-shan) 1150512
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(Central News Agency, New York, 11th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Texas Attorney General today filed a lawsuit against the video streaming platform Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of improperly collecting user data and designing its platform to be addictive.
Agence France-Presse reported that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, filed a 59-page complaint with the Dallas district court, opening with: “While you’re watching Netflix, Netflix is watching you.”
According to a press release describing Netflix as surveilling Texas children and consumers, Paxton characterized the streaming media as a massive database that tracks and records users' viewing habits, preferences, and “other sensitive behavioral data.”
The lawsuit alleges that Netflix provides this input data to advertisers so they can more precisely target the company's subscribers.
The lawsuit also accuses Netflix of employing technologies that make young viewers addicted to the Netflix platform, including the “autoplay” feature which starts by default and includes children's accounts, meaning that once one show ends, another episode automatically begins to play.
According to Reuters, many companies, including social media and other enterprises with strong online influence, have become targets of lawsuits, accused of secretly tracking users and selling the generated data to third parties, who then use this data for advertising.
Netflix stated in a statement to Agence France-Presse: “This lawsuit is baseless and based on inaccurate and distorted information.”
“Netflix takes the privacy of our members seriously and complies with privacy and data protection laws everywhere we operate.”
The lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting Netflix from collecting or disclosing consumer data during the litigation.
The complaint also seeks civil penalties of up to $10,000 (approximately NT$310,000) for each violation of the Texas “Deceptive Trade Practices Act.” (Compiler: Li Pei-shan) 1150512
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency “First-Hand News” APP to stay updated with the latest news.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.