Facebook reportedly granted Netflix a peek into users’ private messages in a striking data-sharing deal, a recent antitrust lawsuit unveils.
Facebook and Netflix embroiled in data manipulation scandal
The digital landscape is abuzz with revelations from a lawsuit that pulls back the curtain on a secretive arrangement between two titans of tech: Facebook, now under the Meta banner, and the entertainment juggernaut, Netflix.
This legal challenge paints a picture of a dubious exchange—private messages from Facebook users for valuable data—questioning the ethos of social media competition and consumer welfare.
The saga traces back to the moment Netflix’s CEO Reed Hastings joined the board of Facebook, heralding a complex web of data-sharing agreements.
Notably, the “Inbox API” deal stood out, allegedly allowing Netflix to access Facebook users’ private communications.
In exchange, Netflix would furnish Facebook with bi-weekly reports detailing user engagement with its content recommendations.
Did Netflix actually see user private messages?
Meta and documents from X’s Community Notes argue against the implications, suggesting the deal allowed Netflix to send messages, not read them—a distinction raising eyebrows yet leaving many questions unanswered.
Amid scrutiny, Meta remains guarded about the depth of its relationship with Netflix and the exact reasons for the abrupt end of Facebook Watch, its once-promising streaming venture.
The lawsuit posits that the discontinuation of Facebook Watch might not have been merely a cost-cutting move but a strategic retreat influenced by Netflix’s position as a key advertising partner.
This speculation has cast a spotlight on Meta’s decision-making, hinting at a possible sacrifice of its streaming ambitions to maintain a beneficial relationship with Netflix.
