Facebook accused of selling private Messenger messages to Netflix

Summary:

• Meta (the parent company of Facebook) allegedly allowed Netflix to access Facebook users’ private messages.

•Court documents reveal advertising partnership between Meta and Netflix.

•Despite facing lawsuits, Meta claims its data-sharing practices are industry standard.

Accusations are mounting against Meta, which allegedly allowed Netflix to access users' private messages on Messenger, raising major concerns about user privacy and corporate ethics.

The alarming allegation comes from an antitrust lawsuit that reveals harmful anticompetitive behavior that could harm competition and consumer rights in social media.

Facebook and Netflix Messenger deal exposed

The lawsuit points to a complex series of negotiations and agreements between Meta and Netflix dating back to 2013 that facilitated the exchange of user data in exchange for corporate benefits. According to court documents, Netflix was authorized to read users' private messages. This contradicts Meta's previous assurances that it provides end-to-end encryption for personal communications on Messenger and Facebook.

Users' private messages were accessed ostensibly in exchange for Netflix providing Facebook with insights into users' interactions with its streaming recommendations.

"Netflix began entering into a series of 'Facebook Extended API' agreements, including the so-called 'Inbox API' agreement, which allowed Netflix programmatic access to Facebook users' private messaging inboxes, in exchange for which Netflix would ' Provide Facebook with a written report every two weeks showing the number of suggestions and recipient clicks delivered via the UI, launch UI, and/or implementation variation each day."

Complicating matters further, the lawsuit highlights the significant financial ties between the two giants. Netflix, a major ad spender on Facebook, reportedly invested about $150 million annually in Facebook ads in early 2019.

Former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, who served on Facebook's board from 2011 to 2019, orchestrated the close relationship between the two companies. Hastings is said to have played a key role in the partnership during his tenure, including the controversial data-sharing agreement.

Meta has responded to the accusations by downplaying their significance and calling such agreements standard industry practice. However, the company did not directly address the impact of these practices on its competitive position.

The lawsuit paints a disturbing picture of the lengths companies may go to protect their interests at the expense of user privacy and fair competition.