The state of Florida has launched legal action against Netflix, charging the entertainment platform with deceiving its users about data privacy policies and illegally collecting information from minors. Filed on Wednesday by Attorney General James Uthmeier, the complaint seeks damages potentially totaling billions of dollars.
Following the lawsuit announcement, NFLX shares declined nearly 1% to reach $76.03 on Wednesday. The stock has already experienced a significant downturn of approximately 19% since the beginning of the year.
The extensive 66-page legal filing contends that Netflix devoted years to convincing subscribers that their monthly subscription fee would shield them from the invasive data-tracking advertising models employed by major technology companies. According to Florida officials, this assurance proved to be deliberately misleading.
“Netflix promised Florida families that paying a subscription would free them from Big Tech surveillance. That promise was a lie,” Attorney General Uthmeier declared in his official statement regarding the legal action.
The lawsuit references statements from former CEO Reed Hastings during a 2020 investor earnings call, where he claimed Netflix was “not integrating everybody’s data” and stated unequivocally, “We don’t collect anything.” Florida authorities contend these declarations were fundamentally deceptive.
The complaint details how Netflix allegedly monitored billions of user actions, documenting what content subscribers viewed, what they searched for, when they paused or rewound content, what they skipped, and which shows they abandoned, alongside comprehensive device and geographic location information. Florida maintains Netflix constructed this extensive data infrastructure specifically to enable the ad-supported subscription tier it introduced in November 2022.
A central element of the legal complaint involves Netflix’s Kids Profiles feature. Florida authorities allege the streaming service promoted these accounts as protected, secure environments designed specifically for children, while simultaneously collecting and processing their viewing habits using identical tracking mechanisms deployed for adult users.
The state further accuses Netflix of implementing manipulative “dark patterns” intended to maximize children’s engagement with the platform. In particular, Florida highlights that autoplay functionality comes activated by default on Kids Profiles, asserting this design choice was deliberately crafted to prolong viewing durations and extract additional behavioral information from minors.
According to Florida’s complaint, these activities constitute violations of both the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. The state additionally asserts that Netflix distributed children’s personal information without obtaining the parental consent mandated by Florida statutes.
The Attorney General is requesting the court issue a permanent injunction against the alleged practices, mandate that Netflix erase all data deceptively obtained from Florida subscribers, prohibit the company from leveraging historical user information to support its advertising operations, and eliminate behavioral data harvested through Kids Profiles.
Additionally, the state seeks judicial orders banning the deployment of manipulative dark-pattern design elements and imposing substantial civil penalties as authorized under Florida law.
Netflix has issued a forceful rebuttal. The streaming company stated it maintains serious commitment to subscriber privacy, adheres to applicable data protection regulations, and has implemented robust protections specifically for children. Netflix characterized the lawsuit as without merit and confirmed its intention to mount a vigorous legal defense.
This legal challenge follows comparable litigation in Texas, where Netflix confronts similar privacy-related allegations. The Florida action intensifies regulatory scrutiny as Netflix expands its advertising-supported business model.
Based on TipRanks analysis, NFLX maintains a Strong Buy rating from 33 Wall Street analysts over the previous three months. The consensus price target sits at $95.46, suggesting potential upside of approximately 26% from Wednesday’s closing price.
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