Florida Netflix lawsuit: State sues streaming giant over kids' data

By
FOX 13 News
Published September 9, 2026 11:33 AM EDT

The Brief

    • Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Netflix over allegations of deceptive data collection and targeting kids.
    • State officials allege Netflix tracked kids’ profiles and sold data despite promises to provide an ad-free platform.
    • The state is demanding civil penalties and a court order forcing Netflix to purge deceptively gathered user information.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the streaming platform secretly tracked children and sold user data to power an advertising business it vowed never to build. 

Florida Netflix lawsuit

What we know:

Florida legal officials claim Netflix lured families into paid subscriptions by promising a surveillance-free, ad-free environment, only to record billions of user actions.

State prosecutors state the company monitored devices, locations, search histories and viewing habits—including activity on profiles dedicated to children 12 and under—before opening that data to commercial brokers after launching ads in November 2022. 

The state charged Netflix with violating the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. 

Florida is asking the court for a permanent injunction, civil financial penalties, an end to designs that keep children watching, and an order requiring Netflix to delete data collected from residents without prior consent. 

Corporate response status

What we don't know:

Netflix executives have not yet publicly responded to the filing or indicated whether they plan to seek a settlement. It remains unknown when the legal proceedings will officially begin in court. 

Public statements

What they're saying:

"Netflix told Florida families they could pay a monthly fee to escape Big Tech surveillance," Uthmeier said. "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." 

The lawsuit highlights previous public statements by Netflix’s chief executive, who claimed the company was a "safe respite" that does not collect user data or exploit users with advertising. 

The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a court complaint filed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. 

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