The document also claims that Netflix had access to Facebook's "Titan API," a private API that allowed it to integrate with Facebook's messaging app. In exchange for this access, Netflix agreed to provide Facebook with bi-weekly reports on its recommendation sends and recipient clicks, and to keep the API agreement confidential. The document also reveals that Netflix spent significant amounts on Facebook ads and allowed its user data to be used for Facebook ad targeting. Despite Meta's denial, the lack of encrypted communications and read/write access to message inboxes means there's no guarantee that messages were protected.
Key takeaways:
- Meta is denying claims that it gave Netflix access to users’ private messages, a claim that was amplified by Elon Musk on social media.
- The claim is based on a court document from a class-action lawsuit over data privacy practices, which alleges that Netflix and Facebook had a “special relationship” and that Netflix had access to Meta’s “Inbox API” that offered programmatic access to Facebook’s user’s private message inboxes.
- Meta's communications director, Andy Stone, disputes the claim, stating that the agreement with Netflix allowed users to message their friends on Facebook about what they were watching on Netflix, directly from the Netflix app, but did not allow Netflix to read private messages.
- The document also claims that Netflix had access to Facebook’s “Titan API,” a private API that allowed it to integrate with Facebook’s messaging app, and in exchange, Netflix agreed to provide Facebook with regular reports and keep the agreement confidential. Netflix also spent significant amounts on Facebook ads and allowed its user data to be used for Facebook ad targeting and optimization.