Everything Netflix collects from you, why do you use it and how can you prevent it from doing so

Information is in the information theory of the knowledge that a sender conveys a receiver via an information channel. The information can take the form of signals or code. The information channel is in many cases a medium. At the receiver, the information leads to an increase in knowledge. Information can be deliberately transmitted as a message or message from a station to a receiver or even unconsciously transported and attracting the perception of the form and property of an object. Information is obtained by the interpretation of the total events at different levels by the recipient of the information. Transmitter or recipients can be not only people / people, but also (higher-developed) animals or artificial systems (such as machinery or computer / computer programs).

In this technological age, virtually any application or page collects information about us when we access them, generating advertising that they consider more according to what they have collected about our tastes.

This is something that also applies to streaming services such as Netflix where, depending on what you have seen (or what you have stopped seeing), makes a list of recommendations that is usually quite successful.

It is well known for all that Netflix collects information about us and our tastes but, are you aware of how much information the platform has on you and what use it gives about it? (Read in a voice of Glòria Serra).

Today, in research team ... Digoooo, in Hobby Consoles, we detail Everything Netflix collects from you, for what to use it and how you can prevent it from doing it .

Everything Netflix knows about you

According to your privacy policy, Netflix collects data that includes device identifiers, geographical location, browser type and details provided by the user to register , such as your email address and payment information.

If you use Netflix in your browser, web cookies and beacons can be used to collect information about your interests.

This is still the case if a Tablet, Smartphone or a transmission device is used through device identifiers.

On the other hand, and as we have already mentioned before, Netflix also knows the visualization habits of each of its users .

This type of data is fundamental for the personalization of which both the platform is proud, personalized recommendations, which are based on what other people with tastes similar to yours have seen in Netflix.

So, if you are one of the many who have been delighted with The Game of the squid (which has become the most viewed series of the history of Netflix), surely the platform recommends alice in Borderland , Japanese Battle Royale style series That, curiously, he has returned between Netflix after the premiere of the squid game.

All this is done through specialized personalization algorithms, powered by data on the movies and television that each user sees and how it interacts with the service.

However, Netflix says that the system of recommendations does not take into account demographic information, such as age or sex, as part of the decision-making process .

To better understand the Netflix data collection, the wired Kate O Flaherty Drafting sent a request for all the information about it (something that anyone can do by accessing the Netflix configuration and entering the section Download your personal data ).

In the case of the draft, all the data collected by Netflix go back to 2015, detailing that the woman lives in the United Kingdom and specifying in which region in particular, as well as all the devices in which she has been using the platform.

Not only that, but, When sharing has other profiles, Netflix can deduce with what kind of person lives in their home (or if it belongs to another home and, therefore, they are making use of a shared account) .

Thus, when sharing a Netflix account with your partner, fellow floor or family member, each one can see what the other is watching. Sharing passwords also gives others access to all your account information.

Also, if any request a download of your data, he can get your information, but can not ask Netflix a copy of your own data unless your profile is connected to a separate email address.

The transmission of online content depends more and more on the collection of a great data treasure on you , declared Pat Walshe, a data protection and privacy consultant who has investigated the use of Netflix data.

Each data point says something about you , he added. In addition to offering recommendations, Netflix can use this data to understand things as at what point they stop looking at most customers to be able to improve next time .

What do I use then Netflix to your data beyond content recommendations?

According to your privacy policy, data can be shared between partners and suppliers , as your TV or Internet service provider, media transmission device providers, mobile phone operators and assistant platform suppliers voice.

On the other hand, Netflix ensures in its privacy policy that does not sell advertisements, membership information or participate in third party advertising.

However, while Netflix uses your data to give you a good experience, It is not known why are all the others , commented Rowenna Fielding, Founder and Director of the Miss IG Geek Privacy Consultant.

According to her, she says that Netflix Privacy Notice is pretty good compared to many other online services, but believes that it lacks adequate details about what data is used for what purposes and how.

This means that stakeholders can not determine which of their rights applies to which data and processing. It is particularly worrisome in relation to the use of third-party services for monitoring, elaboration of profiles and content orientation, which represent a significant risk For privacy , he added.

Unless it is clear and transparent that they do not do something, there are many possibilities that they are doing it , commented by the part of it Emily Overton, Director General of the Rmgirl Data Protector.

Collect data from which you can not choose not to participate; use that data to boost marketing where the consent allows to obtain more data; and sell the data that collects the advertising agencies , she added.

Being tantus the data that Netflix collects on us, What can we do to avoid it? Well, little thing, since there is no way to deactivate the customization in Netflix.

There is very little margin to restrict the collection of information about devices, connections or activities that are collected by default , said Will Richmond-Coggan, a technology specialist and privacy of the Freeths LLP law firm.

People will have to see if it feels comfortable sharing that information with Netflix, but much of it feeds on the main functionality of the platform , he said.

However, there are some options that you can enable in your account settings to increase your privacy .

If you go to the section configuration of your account and access to Test Participation , you can choose to deactivate the function in which, as indicated, it allows to improve the experience on the platform and see possible changes before the rest of the subscribers of Netflix .

Also, if you see Netflix in a browser you can use blockers and delete cookies to prevent too much information about you from being collected.

This is, roughly, All Netflix collects from you, for what to use it and how you can prevent it from doing it . As you can see, there are not too many options to limit access to your data and a good part of the information will be placed.

Therefore, at the end is your decision if you feel comfortable facilitating your data to Netflix and if it is worth using the service now that it has returned its prices again in Spain, although the competition is not much better than Netflix in When using the data of its users ...