Florida attorney general sues Netflix over ‘bait-and-switch’ on privacy for kids

Florida’s attorney general filed a sweeping lawsuit Wednesday against Netflix, accusing the Hollywood streaming giant of misleading consumers about its data collection practices and exposing kids to “addictive” design features.

“Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance. That was false,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement accompanying the filing.

“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,” he added in part.

In response to a request for comment Thursday, a Netflix spokesperson said the company “takes our members’ privacy seriously.”

“We comply with privacy and data‑protection laws everywhere we operate and have dedicated safeguards in place for kids who watch content on Netflix,” the spokesperson said. “This lawsuit lacks merit and we intend to vigorously defend the matter in court.”

Uthmeier’s suit opens another front in Florida’s legal crusade against major technology platforms. Uthmeier’s office sued OpenAI in early June, accusing the artificial intelligence company of putting profit over safety. The same month, the state sued TikTok, claiming the social media application violated state child safety law.

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health