Ohio Netflix subscribers who are parents or guardians of minor children may be covered by a proposed class action alleging Netflix collects children’s viewing data for its advertising business and uses autoplay and other design features to keep kids watching. No class has been certified and there is nothing to file yet.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. Netflix, Inc. has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
Two Ohio parents filed a proposed class action against Netflix, Inc. on September 28, 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, suing for themselves and as next friends of their minor children. The case, Mosley v. Netflix, Inc., Case No. 5:26-cv-02534, alleges Netflix told parents its kids profiles were a safe space while collecting detailed viewing data from children, and designed features such as autoplay to keep kids watching longer.The complaint brings claims under Ohio’s Consumer Sales Practices Act and Ohio’s product liability statute, and asks for damages and court-ordered changes for Ohio families. Netflix has not been found liable, and none of the allegations has been tested in court.
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A Private Case Built on the Texas and Florida Lawsuits
Much of the complaint’s account of Netflix comes from two government cases. The Texas attorney general sued Netflix in May 2026, and the Florida attorney general followed on September 9, 2026. Both states allege Netflix marketed itself as an ad-free, kid-friendly alternative to Big Tech while logging subscribers’ viewing behavior and later using that data to build the advertising business it launched in November 2022. OCA covered both in the Texas Netflix lawsuit report and the Florida Netflix lawsuit report.Those state cases seek civil penalties and court orders, and neither can pay individual subscribers. The Ohio case is different because it is brought by consumers on behalf of other consumers, so any money it recovered could go to class members. It is limited to Ohio families.
The first part of the complaint is not about Netflix at all. It recounts the youth mental health debate around social media, the 2024 Senate hearing with tech executives and the social media addiction lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube, then argues that Netflix uses similar engagement techniques.
What the Parents Allege
According to the complaint, Netflix encouraged parents to set up kids profiles at signup and promoted the service as “Great for kids,” which led parents to believe children would not be subject to the data collection used on adult accounts. The parents allege Netflix still records what children watch, rewatch, abandon, search for and pause through the same logging systems used across the platform, and never clearly disclosed it.The complaint does not claim Netflix shows targeted ads on kids profiles. It argues that collecting the data is the problem, because Netflix now works with advertising and data companies such as Experian, Acxiom, LiveRamp, The Trade Desk and Google Display & Video 360, as the Texas and Florida cases describe.
On design, the complaint targets autoplay, which it says is on by default for every profile and removes the natural stopping point between episodes, along with Netflix’s promotion of binge-watching. It argues these features undermine parents’ control over screen time and increase how much data Netflix collects. The parents say they worry about the effect on their children’s mental health.
Who Is in the Proposed Class?
The complaint defines the class as Ohio residents who subscribed to Netflix as a Household or Extra Member at any time since September 26, 2024 and who are parents or legal guardians of at least one minor child. The children are included through their parents. A later paragraph gives the class period as starting September 26, 2026, which conflicts with that definition; the court or an amended complaint would have to settle the dates.Netflix subscribers in other states are not part of this proposed class, and neither are Ohio subscribers without minor children.
The Legal Claims and What the Case Asks For
The complaint makes three claims:- Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act: that calling the service safe for kids, and not disclosing how children’s viewing data feeds the advertising business, were deceptive practices
- Ohio statutory product liability, including public nuisance: that Netflix’s kids-profile features are a “product” with a defective design
- A request for classwide injunctive relief
What Happens Next?
As of September 30, 2026, the only docket entry was the complaint itself, with its civil cover sheet, summons and an exhibit. Netflix has not responded. The complaint itself flags some of the questions the court will have to answer, including whether a streaming service’s features count as a “product” under Ohio’s product liability law and whether parents can bring their children’s claims as next friends.There is nothing for Ohio parents to do now. A class has not been certified, and there is no settlement or claim form. Any subscriber who wants to limit autoplay today can turn it off in each profile’s playback settings on the Netflix account page, including kids profiles.
Read the Complaint
The full Mosley v. Netflix, Inc. complaint is embedded below:Mosley v. Netflix, Inc. — Class Action Complaint (PDF, September 28, 2026)
Questions
Who is included in the proposed Netflix class?
The complaint defines the class as Ohio residents who subscribed to Netflix as a Household or Extra Member at any time since September 26, 2024 and who are parents or legal guardians of one or more minor children. The children are included through their parents. Subscribers outside Ohio are not in the proposed class. No class has been certified.
How is this different from the Texas and Florida Netflix lawsuits?
Texas and Florida sued Netflix as states, seeking civil penalties and court orders, so neither case can pay individual subscribers. This is a private class action by two Ohio parents. It relies heavily on the states’ allegations but asks for damages for Ohio families, including emotional-distress damages, along with court-ordered changes.
Does the lawsuit say Netflix shows targeted ads to children?
No. The complaint accepts that Netflix says it does not run behavioral advertising on kids profiles. Its claim is that Netflix still collects detailed viewing data from those profiles and did not clearly tell parents, while building an advertising business on subscriber data. Netflix has not been found to have done anything unlawful.
Can Netflix autoplay be turned off on a kids profile?
Yes. Netflix lets account holders turn off autoplay of the next episode and of previews in each profile’s playback settings, including kids profiles. The lawsuit asks the court to make autoplay off by default on children’s accounts.
Is there any money to claim from Netflix now?
No. The case was just filed, no class has been certified and there is no settlement or claim form. If the case settles or a class is certified, Ohio class members would be notified of any way to take part.
Sources
• Class Action Complaint — Mosley v. Netflix, Inc., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Case No. 5:26-cv-02534 (filed September 28, 2026): Complaint (PDF)• Docket for Mosley v. Netflix, Inc., No. 5:26-cv-02534 (N.D. Ohio), via CourtListener: CourtListener Docket
• OCA coverage of the State of Texas enforcement suit against Netflix: Texas AG Netflix Lawsuit
• OCA coverage of the State of Florida enforcement suit against Netflix: Florida AG Netflix Lawsuit
