Explosive court documents unsealed last week reveal a concerning breach of privacy by social media giant Meta, formerly known as Facebook. The documents allege that Meta allowed Netflix unprecedented access to users’ direct messages (DMs) over a span of nearly a decade. This revelation comes as part of a significant anti-trust lawsuit filed by Maximilian Klein and Sarah Grabert, who argue that Meta and Netflix maintained a special relationship aimed at enhancing Netflix’s advertising capabilities on Facebook.
According to the lawsuit, Netflix, in exchange for substantial advertising expenditures on the platform, received preferential treatment from Meta, including access to private Facebook APIs and direct messages of users. The close ties between the two companies reportedly involved agreements for data sharing and custom partnerships, with Netflix committing to hefty ad spending, including a guaranteed $150 million in 2017 alone.
One particularly alarming aspect outlined in the court documents is the alleged provision of programmatic access to Facebook’s private message inboxes for Netflix. This access was facilitated through Meta’s Titan API, which purportedly allowed Netflix to access messaging data, including interactions with both app and non-app friends on Facebook.
Meta, however, has vehemently denied these claims, asserting that the API access merely enabled partners to send messages to users, rather than granting access to private messages. A Meta spokesperson reiterated the company’s stance, labeling the allegations as meritless and emphasizing the commonality of such agreements within the industry.
Notably, this isn’t the first time Meta has faced scrutiny over privacy concerns. In 2018, reports surfaced alleging that the company had authorized other tech giants like Spotify and Netflix to access users’ DMs. Moreover, Meta has been subjected to significant fines, including a $284 million penalty imposed by Ireland in 2022 following a data breach affecting millions of users.
As the legal battle unfolds, questions surrounding user privacy and the extent of tech companies’ responsibilities in safeguarding personal data continue to loom large. With mounting pressure from regulators and ongoing public scrutiny, the outcome of this lawsuit could have far-reaching implications for Meta and the broader tech industry.
