Netflix Addiction Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Binge-Watching Features Harm Children

Lawsuit claims Netflix uses autoplay, personalized recommendations and other features to encourage compulsive viewing among children.

Two Ohio parents have filed a class action lawsuit alleging Netflix intentionally uses addictive features to encourage children to binge-watch programming for extended periods while collecting information about their viewing habits.

The complaint (PDF) was brought by Kayla Mosley and Jonathan Austin in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on September 28, naming Netflix Inc. as the sole defendant.

Mosley and Austin claim Netflix tracks subscribers’ viewing behavior to refine its recommendations and increasingly uses that behavioral data to support its advertising business, creating a financial incentive to keep users, including children, engaged with the platform.

Binge-Watching Risks

Netflix has become one of the most widely used streaming services, allowing subscribers to watch movies, television programs and other video content on demand across televisions, computers, tablets and smartphones.

Unlike traditional television programming, streaming platforms allow users to watch multiple episodes consecutively without waiting for the next scheduled broadcast. Netflix also uses algorithms to recommend additional programming based on a subscriber’s viewing activity.

However, parents maintain those features are not simply intended to make the service more convenient. They allege Netflix intentionally designed the platform to encourage prolonged viewing and repeatedly draw users back to the service.

Similar allegations involving the use of algorithms and other features designed to prolong user engagement have been raised against major social media companies. A growing number of social media addiction lawsuits claim platforms intentionally use autoplay, continuous content recommendations and personalized algorithms to encourage compulsive use, particularly among children and teenagers.

The lawsuits allege that these addictive design features have contributed to serious mental health problems among young social media users, including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, body image issues and suicidal thoughts.

Netflix Addiction Allegations

According to the complaint, Netflix monitors users’ viewing behavior and relies on that information to refine its recommendation systems, allowing the company to determine which programs are most likely to keep individual subscribers watching.

Mosley and Austin indicate that behavioral information has become increasingly valuable as Netflix expands its advertising business, creating a financial incentive for the company to maximize the amount of time users spend on the platform.

“Consumers would be shocked to learn how extensively Netflix shops their data across Big Tech’s shadowy networks. The years of behavioral data Netflix commercialized for advertising beginning in November 2022 paints a mosaic that reveals far more about a user’s identity, beliefs, life stage, activities, and choices than any individual data point ever could.”

— Kayla Mosley v. Netflix Inc.

The lawsuit alleges Netflix has therefore adopted a business model that rewards increased engagement, even when the users being encouraged to remain online are children.

Mosley and Austin claim they were not adequately informed about the extent to which the platform was allegedly designed to promote prolonged viewing or the potential mental health effects associated with compulsive use.

They argue children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable to Netflix’s techniques and may have difficulty regulating how much time they spend using the platform. In addition, the two parents say Netflix knew or should have known its platform could encourage compulsive viewing among children but failed to adequately warn parents about the potential risks.

The filing raises allegations of violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act and statutory product liability. It seeks to be certified for class action status on behalf of Ohio Netflix subscribers and their minor children who were allegedly exposed to the platform’s addictive features, as well as injunctive relief.

Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

Thousands of social media addiction lawsuits are being pursued against Meta, TikTok, Google and other technology companies, with families nationwide seeking compensation for injuries allegedly caused by addictive social media platforms.

The litigation has already resulted in several significant jury verdicts. In March 2026, a California jury ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million to a woman who alleged that social media addiction during childhood contributed to anxiety and depression. Days earlier, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in a separate case involving allegations about risks to children and teenagers.

Settlement negotiations have also produced major developments, including a proposed $17 billion agreement involving Meta and 51 attorneys general in August 2026, as well as a $100 million TikTok settlement announced in September.

As the litigation continues, lawyers are investigating additional social media addiction claims nationwide, including potential lawsuits involving children and young adults who suffered serious mental health injuries following prolonged use of Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat and other platforms.

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