Facebook have been accused that it reportedly sold its users’ private messages to Netflix for a deal of $100 million. It has been accused that Meta allegedly allowed Netflix to look into Facebook users private messages for nearly 10 years in order to help the streaming giant to deliver better content to its users. Why Facebook is accused of selling your messages to Netflix, let us go through it in detailed manner below.
Did Facebook share your private messages with Netflix? A recent lawsuit alleges exactly that, and it sheds light on a possibly cozy relationship between the two tech giants. Here’s a breakdown of the situation in easy-to-understand language.
Unsealed Court Documents Reveal “Facebook Selling Messages”
Court documents filed in April 2023 as part of an anti-trust lawsuit against Meta (Facebook’s parent company) were unsealed on March 23rd, 2024. These documents allege a special connection between Facebook and Netflix, involving the sharing of user data.
The Lawsuit’s Claims
The lawsuit, filed by two US citizens, accuses Facebook of granting Netflix “bespoke access” to user information. This allegedly involved:
- Sharing private messages: Lawyers claim Netflix could access user message inboxes through a special program for nearly a decade.
- Data exchange: Facebook and Netflix supposedly exchanged data on how users interacted with their respective platforms.
A Special Relationship?
The lawsuit suggests a close relationship between Facebook and Netflix, possibly influenced by the personal connection between Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook founder) and Reed Hastings (Netflix co-founder). It alleges that:
- Hastings joining Facebook’s board in 2011 coincided with the signing of a data-sharing agreement.
- This agreement provided Netflix with programmatic access to user messages.
Facebook’s History with Data Privacy Issues
This lawsuit isn’t the first time Facebook has faced questions about user data privacy. Here are some relevant past events:
- 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal: Millions of Facebook users had their data improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, a data firm.
- 2022 Irish Data Breach Fine: Meta was fined millions for a data leak affecting over half a billion users.
- 2022 Cambridge Analytica Settlement: Meta paid millions to settle a lawsuit related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Why This Lawsuit Matters
The lawsuit against Meta raises concerns about how our private information is handled by social media platforms. The following are some key takeaways:
- Users may not be aware of the extent of data sharing between tech companies.
- Data privacy remains a significant issue for social media platforms.
- This lawsuit could have implications for how Facebook handles user data in the future.
It’s important to note that these are allegations in a lawsuit and not proven facts. The court will decide on the merits of the case.
Source: Big Breaking Wire
