Florida’s Attorney General Sues Netflix for Allegedly Harvesting, Selling Children’s Data (Connecting the Dots: Netflix, Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings, Stanford University, The Microsoft Corporation, Bloomberg LP, Silver Lake & The Carnegie/Soros Network)
Netflix
is accused of promising a safe space for children while deceptively collecting
their data and adding addictive features to the platform.
The
Epoch Times
Jill
McLaughlin
9/9/2026|Updated:
9/9/2026
Florida’s
attorney general sued Netflix
on Sept. 9 claiming the streaming giant collected data on its youngest viewers
and added addictive features to the platform after promising not to.
Attorney
General James Uthmeier is seeking billions in damages from the company and
asked the judge to order Netflix to stop its alleged deceptive practices.
“Parents
were told kids’ profiles were a child’s own space—safe, separate, great for
kids,” Uthmeier said in a news conference Wednesday. “Families believed them.
But behind the brand, Netflix built something different.”
In the
lawsuit, Uthmeier claims Netflix offered an ad-free service that promised not
to collect or sell data but began to track children and their profiles when it
launched an advertising business in 2022.
The
streaming service offers an under-12 profile option for children which promotes
a non-advertising space, according to the state.
Uthmeier
alleges Netflix violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act
and the state’s Digital Bill of Rights, including by selling sensitive personal
data collected from known children without prior consent.
He
seeks a permanent injunction, an order requiring Netflix to purge any
deceptively collected data from Floridians, and an end to addictive designs
that keep children watching on the platform, in addition to billions of dollars
in civil and other monetary relief, he said.
“Parents,
not streaming corporations, need to direct the upbringing of children,”
Uthmeier said.
In the
complaint, Uthmeier stated Netflix’s executive officer Reed
Hastings
told investors during
a Jan. 22, 2020, earnings call the company’s model was not based on using
customer data.
“We
don’t collect anything, we’re really focused on just making our members happy
and we’re not tied up on all that controversy around advertising,” Hastings
said.
Hastings
also said Netflix wasn’t interested in tracking customers’ locations or other
things they were doing. “We want to be the safer spy where you can explore, you
can get stimulated, have fun, enjoy, relax, and have none of the controversy
around exploiting users with advertising,” Hastings said during the call.
The
Netflix executive compared the company to Google, Facebook, and Amazon’s
advertising models that used consumer data collection and targeting
information, saying Netflix was “not controversial that way.”
Uthmeier’s
complaint alleges Hastings’ comments represented to customers that buying
Netflix subscriptions bought an escape from tech surveillance, but in fact
generated years of “lucrative behavioral data” for the company.
Hastings
stepped down as Netflix’s chairman of the board of directors in June.
Uthmeier
claims that, behind the scenes, the company accumulated years of consumer data
and surveillance and used it when Netflix deployed its advertising business in
November 2022.
The
lawsuit alleges the streamer uses dark patterns, or subtle designs, to
manipulate users to take actions the company wants them to take. The autoplay
feature is one of these designs, the complaint alleges.
An
attorney listed for Netflix didn’t respond to a request for comment about the
lawsuit.
Florida
is the second state to sue the streaming giant. Texas filed a lawsuit in May
alleging similar violations of the law arising from the collection of users’
data without their knowledge or consent.
Reed
Hastings
Early
life
After
returning from the Peace Corps, Hastings went on to attend Stanford
University after
being rejected from his first choice of MIT, graduating in 1988 with a Master
of Science in Computer Science.
Other
business ventures
Hastings was on the board of Microsoft from
2007 to 2012.[33] He was also on the board of directors of Facebook from June 2011[34] to May 2019.[35] As of September 2016, Hastings was reported to
own over $10 million of Facebook shares.[36]
Hastings is the majority owner of the Powder Mountain ski resort in Utah following his $100
million investment in 2023.[37][38][39] That same year, he announced plans to turn
half of the mountain into a members-only ski club, in addition to other planned
residential developments.[40][41][42]
Hastings was appointed to the board of
directors of Bloomberg in 2023.[43] In 2025, he was added to the board of Anthropic.[44]
Reed Hastings invested in SunCulture, a
Nairobi, Kenya-based startup that supplies solar-powered water pumps to
smallholder farmers.
Connecting
the Dots:
Reed Hastings
is the co-founder of Netflix, received his MS from Stanford
University, was on the board of Microsoft and appointed to the board of
directors of Bloomberg LP.
Charles H.
Giancarlo was a director at Netflix Inc. and is a managing
director for Silver Lake.
Silver
Lake Kraftwerk Fund is a fund for Silver Lake.
Soros Fund
Management is a partner with the Silver Lake Kraftwerk Fund.
George Soros is the founder of Soros Fund Management
and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder the Aspen Institute
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement.
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Ted Sarandos is
a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the chief content
officer for Netflix Inc.
Condoleezza Rice is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a political
science professor for Stanford University.
Reed Hastings
received his MS from Stanford
University, is the co-founder of Netflix and was on the board of Microsoft.
National
Security Agency (NSA) was a grant recipient from the Microsoft
Corporation.
William H. Gates
III is a co-founder & technology adviser & director for
the Microsoft Corporation and a co-chair for the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Joanne R. Harrell is
a member of the Belizean Grove and a senior director, e-government
programs for the Microsoft Corporation.
Kimberly Till is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a VP for the Microsoft
Corporation.
Mary Agnes
Wilderotter was an SVP for the Microsoft Corporation and is
a member of the Belizean Grove.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Henry
A. Kissinger was a member of the Bohemian Club and was a
lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Bloomberg
Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation,
the founder of Bloomberg LP and an advocate for the ONE
Campaign.
Ted Sarandos is
a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the chief content
officer for Netflix Inc.
Reed Hastings
was appointed to the
board of directors of Bloomberg LP and is the co-founder of Netflix.
Bloomberg
Politics is a division of Bloomberg LP.
Mark Halperin
became the senior political analyst and a contributor, the founding editor
for Bloomberg Politics, is Morton H. Halperin’s son
and in 2010, Halperin joined MSNBC.
Harold E. Ford Jr. was
a political commentator at MSNBC and an overseer at the International
Rescue Committee.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder the International
Rescue Committee.
George Soros was
the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society and is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations.
International
Rescue Committee is a partner with the ONE Campaign.
Morton H. Halperin is a senior adviser for
the Soros Open Society Foundations, a director at the ONE
Campaign, served with the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace (think tank) and was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank)
and the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace (think tank), the Center
for American Progress and a supporter for the American
Society for Muslim Advancement.
Open Society Foundations was a
funder for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and
the Center for American Progress.
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote
Open Society and a supporter for the Center for American Progress.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Carnegie
Endowment for International Peace (think tank) and the Center for American Progress.
Microsoft
Corporation was a funder for the Center
for American Progress.
Reed Hastings
was on the board of Microsoft and is the co-founder of Netflix.
William H. Gates
III is a co-founder & technology adviser & director for
the Microsoft Corporation and a co-chair for the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Aspen
Institute (think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement.
Andrew Carnegie was the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Open Society Foundations was a
funder for the Center for American Progress.
George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open
Society Foundations, was a supporter for the Center for
American Progress and the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress and the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Ted Sarandos is
a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the chief content
officer for Netflix Inc.
Condoleezza Rice is
a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and a political
science professor for Stanford University.
Reed Hastings
received his MS from Stanford
University, is the co-founder of Netflix and was on the board of Microsoft.
National
Security Agency (NSA) was a grant recipient from the Microsoft
Corporation.
William H. Gates
III is a co-founder & technology adviser & director for
the Microsoft Corporation and a co-chair for the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation.
Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
Henrietta
Holsman Fore is a trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank)
and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Joanne R. Harrell is
a member of the Belizean Grove and a senior director, e-government
programs for the Microsoft Corporation.
Kimberly Till is
a member of the Belizean Grove and was a VP for the Microsoft
Corporation.
Mary Agnes
Wilderotter was an SVP for the Microsoft Corporation and is
a member of the Belizean Grove.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Henry
A. Kissinger was a member of the Bohemian Club and was a
lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Bloomberg
Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation,
the founder of Bloomberg LP and an advocate for the ONE
Campaign.
Ted Sarandos is
a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the chief content
officer for Netflix Inc.
Charles H.
Giancarlo was a director at Netflix Inc. and is a managing
director for Silver Lake.
Silver
Lake Kraftwerk Fund is a fund for Silver Lake.
Soros Fund
Management is a partner with the Silver Lake Kraftwerk Fund.
George Soros is the founder of Soros Fund Management
and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder the Brookings Institution
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim
Advancement.
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
John S. Chen was
a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is a
special adviser for Silver Lake.
Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
William H. Gates
III is a co-chair for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
and a co-founder & technology adviser & director for the Microsoft
Corporation.
Pete Higgins was
a group VP for the Microsoft Corporation and is a trustee at
the Brookings Institution (think tank).
Microsoft
Corporation was a funder for the Brookings Institution (think
tank).
Reed Hastings
was on the board of Microsoft and is the co-founder of Netflix.
Joanne R. Harrell is
a senior director, e-government programs for the Microsoft Corporation
and a member of the Belizean Grove.
Kimberly Till was
a VP for the Microsoft Corporation and is a member of the Belizean
Grove.
Mary Agnes
Wilderotter was an SVP for the Microsoft Corporation and is
a member of the Belizean Grove.
Belizean_Grove is
the equivalent to the male-only social group, the Bohemian Club.
Henry
A. Kissinger was a member of the Bohemian Club and was a
lifetime trustee at the Aspen Institute (think tank).
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Aspen
Institute (think tank).
George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to
Promote Open Society.
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder the Aspen Institute
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim
Advancement.
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Bloomberg
Family Foundation was a funder for the Aspen Institute (think
tank).
Michael R.
Bloomberg is the founder of the Bloomberg Family Foundation,
the founder of Bloomberg LP and an advocate for the ONE
Campaign.
Ted Sarandos is
a fellow at the Aspen Institute (think tank) and the chief content
officer for Netflix Inc.
Charles H.
Giancarlo was a director at Netflix Inc. and is a managing
director for Silver Lake.
Silver
Lake Kraftwerk Fund is a fund for Silver Lake.
Soros Fund
Management is a partner with the Silver Lake Kraftwerk Fund.
George Soros is the founder of Soros Fund Management
and was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society.
Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Brookings
Institution (think tank).
Carnegie
Corporation of New York was a funder the Brookings Institution
(think tank) and a supporter for the American Society for Muslim
Advancement.
Andrew Carnegie was
the founder of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
John S. Chen was
a trustee at the Brookings Institution (think tank) and is a
special adviser for Silver Lake.
Charles H.
Giancarlo is a managing director for Silver Lake and was a
director at Netflix Inc.
Silver
Lake Kraftwerk Fund is a fund for Silver Lake.
Soros Fund
Management is a partner with the Silver Lake Kraftwerk Fund.
George Soros is the founder of Soros Fund Management.
Resources:
Past Research
Microsoft
Acknowledges Looking Inside Blogger’s Hotmail Inbox And Reading IM To Track
Source Of Leaked Company Information (Past Research
on Microsoft)
Sunday,
March 23, 2014
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2014/03/microsoft-acknowledges-looking-inside.html
Who
Really Controls Our Universities? (Connecting the Dots: Soros Funded Think
Tanks) (Past Research on Stanford University)
Wednesday,
August 24, 2022
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2022/08/who-really-controls-our-universities.html
Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America (Connecting the Dots: The Pharmaceutical
Research and Manufacturers of America, The American Action Network, The
Americans for Prosperity, FDA, CDC, COVID-19 Vaccine Manufactures, Medicare,
The Social Security Administration (SSA), The World Trade Organization &
The Carnegie/Soros Network) (Past Research on the Carnegie
Corporation of New York)
Tuesday,
September 8, 2026
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2026/09/pharmaceutical-research-and.html
Noem:
CBS 'Shamefully' Edited Interview About Abrego Garcia (Connecting the Dots: The
CBS News, El Salvador, Jerome Powell & Soros Funding, All Networking) (Past Research on Bloomberg LP)
Monday,
September 1, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/09/noem-cbs-shamefully-edited-interview.html
Dr.
Morton Halperin – J Street Education Fund (Connecting the Dots: J Street,
Morton Halperin, The Open Society Foundations, Newsmax’s Mark Halperin, Rhonda
(Randi) Weingarten, The ONE Campaign, MSNBC, ACLU, The Carnegie & Soros
Funding) (Past Research on the ONE Campaign)
Tuesday,
June 17, 2025
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2025/06/dr-morton-halperin-j-street-education.html
Netflix
News? (Past Research on Netflix)
Thursday,
October 15, 2015
https://thesteadydrip.blogspot.com/2015/10/netflix-news.html
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