Texas Sues Netflix Over Alleged Surveillance Of Children

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Monday in Collin County accusing Netflix of spying on Texans, including children, and collecting user data without consent, according to his office.

The 59-page complaint alleges Netflix built a "behavioral-surveillance program" that tracks viewing habits, devices, household networks, application usage and other sensitive behavioral data, the filing says.

Netflix said the suit "lacks merit" and that it complies with privacy and data-protection laws, and Paxton's office said he has opened investigations into music streaming platforms, according to statements.

Netflix has more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, rolled out an ad-supported tier in late 2022, and Texans contribute roughly $1.5 billion in annual revenue, the complaint says.

Paxton seeks a jury trial, a permanent injunction to stop the alleged data collection, a purge of collected data, and civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.