Anurag R Dubey, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons / republica GmbH CC BY 2.0 DEED, via Flickr, Cropped by Resist the Mainstream

An explosive lawsuit has alleged that Facebook's parent company, Meta, allowed Netflix to access its users' direct messages (DMs) for nearly a decade in a bid to enhance content personalization for the streaming giant's users.

Court documents unsealed on March 23, filed as part of a major anti-trust lawsuit against Meta, shed light on what appears to be a close and intricate relationship between the two tech behemoths.

The class-action lawsuit, brought forth by two US citizens, Maximilian Klein and Sarah Grabert, alleges that Facebook and Netflix shared a “special relationship,” with Meta granting the streaming platform unique access to user data. 

This arrangement included Netflix purchasing hundreds of millions of dollars in Facebook ads, sharing data with Facebook, and receiving tailored access to private Facebook application programming interfaces (APIs) to bolster ad targeting and ranking models.

APIs serve as the backbone of software communication, allowing different programs or components to interact and share information. The lawsuit alleges that Facebook provided Netflix with access to its private messaging inboxes through the so-called “Titan API,” enabling Netflix to reach Facebook users directly about their viewing recommendations.

Meta has faced scrutiny over its handling of user privacy in the past. However, the company has maintained that it does not disclose private messages to partners without user consent and that API access only allows partners to send messages to users via the API.

A Meta spokesperson asserted to The Daily Mail that the company did not share private messages with Netflix and emphasized that agreements allowing communication between platforms are common in the industry. The outlet reports that Netflix has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter.

Reed Hastings, co-founder of Netflix, is alleged in the lawsuit of having assumed a position on Facebook's board of directors, subsequently playing a key role in the shutdown of Facebook Watch, a streaming service that directly competed with Netflix. The lawsuit requires Hastings to address the plaintiff's allegations in court.

Plaintiffs Klein and Grabert, citing the Cambridge Analytica scandal, where the British data firm improperly obtained Facebook data to build voter profiles, leading to allegations of election interference, expressed a lack of trust in Meta's privacy protections. The two sought legal action to safeguard others' privacy.

The New York Times reported that Facebook in 2018 had authorized Spotify and Netflix to access users' DMs, contributing to the platform's growth and revenue streams.

Meta has also faced substantial fines for mishandling user data, including a multi-million fine from Ireland in 2022 after data on over half a billion users leaked online, Just The News reports.

Meta's former chief technology officer also revealed in the past that as many as 87 million Facebook users had their data shared with Cambridge Analytica as part of the scandal.

The unfolding legal battle between Meta and concerned users underscores broader debates about data privacy, corporate accountability, and the extent of tech companies' influence over user data and digital experiences.

As the lawsuit progresses, it is likely to reignite discussions about the responsibilities of tech giants in safeguarding user privacy in the digital age.