On Monday, May 11, Paxton announced his office was suing Netflix and accused the streaming giant of “spying on Texans, including children, and collecting users’ data without their knowledge or consent,” according to a May 11 release. The attorney general’s office claims the company “designs its platform to be addictive,” by using features like autoplay to keep its users, especially children, binge-watching Netflix content for long periods of time.
However, Netflix seems to see things in a different light, with a spokesperson telling MySA via email that Paxton’s case “lacks merit and is based on inaccurate and distorted information.”
“Netflix takes our members’ privacy seriously and complies with privacy and data‑protection laws everywhere we operate,” the Netflix spokesperson said. “We look forward to addressing the Texas Attorney General’s allegations in court and further explaining our industry-leading, kid‑friendly parental controls and transparent privacy practices.”
In the lawsuit, Paxton alleges that Netflix violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), which prohibits all false, misleading or deceptive acts or practices for trade or commerce. The attorney general said he is suing the company to stop it from allegedly tracking users’ data and selling it illegally. The lawsuit also aims to require Netflix to disable autoplay on kids’ profiles and secure other possible civil penalties.
“Netflix has built a surveillance program designed to illegally collect and profit from Texans’ personal data without their consent, and my office will do everything in our power to stop it,” Paxton said in a release. “Netflix is not the ad-free and kid-friendly platform it claims to be. Instead, it has misled consumers while exploiting their private data to make billions. I will continue to work to protect Texas families from deceptive practices by Big Tech companies and ensure that corporations are held accountable under Texas law.”
This isn’t the first time Paxton has sued a big player in the big tech media industry. In December 2025, Paxton sued five major TV manufacturers — Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation (“TCL”) — over their use of technology to collect users’ data through smart TVs without consent.