Florida Attorney General sues Netflix over alleged data privacy violations

<p>Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Netflix on September 9, 2026, alleging that the streaming service misled subscribers by claiming to offer an ad-free, privacy-focused experience while secretly collecting extensive behavioral data, including from children's profiles, to support its advertising business. The 66-page lawsuit contends that Netflix built its brand on the promise that a subscription would allow users to avoid the surveillance-driven advertising model used by other technology companies, while it allegedly gathered user data prior to launching its ad-supported platform in November 2022.</p><p>Uthmeier stated in a news release, "Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance. That was false. 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. Parents, not corporate executives, direct the upbringing of their children. Netflix should expect to be held accountable."</p><p>The lawsuit cites public statements from Netflix executives, including former CEO Reed Hastings, who claimed during a 2020 earnings call that Netflix was "not integrating everybody's data" and described the service as "the safe respite" from companies that exploit users through advertising.</p><p>Florida's complaint alleges that Netflix created a significant behavioral-data operation that records subscriber interactions, tracking billions of user actions such as viewing habits, searches, and device information. The state asserts that this data is used to enhance recommendation systems and support the advertising business.</p><p>The lawsuit emphasizes Netflix's Kids Profiles, which are marketed as safe spaces for children. Florida claims that Netflix encouraged parents to create these profiles while continuing to collect and analyze children's viewing behavior through the same systems used for adult accounts.</p><p>Florida also accuses Netflix of employing "dark patterns" to maintain viewer engagement, alleging that features like autoplay on Kids Profiles are designed to extend viewing sessions and generate additional behavioral data from children.</p><p>The state contends that Netflix unlawfully shared sensitive personal data collected from children without obtaining necessary consent under state law, violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights.</p><p>Uthmeier is seeking a court order to halt the alleged practices, require Netflix to delete data collected from Floridians, cease using historical subscriber data for advertising, purge behavioral data from Kids Profiles, prohibit the use of dark-pattern designs, and impose civil penalties as allowed under Florida law.</p><p>Netflix has not yet responded to requests for comment.</p>