Dutch watchdog fines Netflix €4.75m for violating personal data rules

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (DPA) on Wednesday imposed a 4.75-million-euro fine on U.S. streaming service provider Netflix for failing to provide customers sufficient information about what the company did with their personal data between 2018 and 2020, reported Xinhua.

Netflix collects various types of personal data from customers, including email addresses, telephone numbers and payment details, as well as information about what and when customers watch on the platform, the DPA said in a press release.

An investigation started by the Dutch DPA in 2019 revealed that Netflix failed to inform customers clearly in its privacy statement about what exactly the company does with those data.

Furthermore, customers did not receive clear answers when they asked Netflix which data the company was collecting about them. According to the DPA, such conduct violates the European Union (EU)'s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

"A company like that, which has millions of customers and makes billions in turnover worldwide, has to explain properly to its customers how it handles their personal data," DPA chairman Aleid Wolfsen said in the press release. "That must be crystal clear. Especially if the customer asks about this. And that was not in order," he said.