Netflix—Netflix faced backlash over sexualized marketing of film 'Cuties' featuring child actors, manipulated search algorithm to suppress controversy
In September 2020, Netflix faced massive backlash over its promotional poster for the French film 'Cuties' (Mignonnes) which was widely considered to sexualize child actors. #CancelNetflix trended on Twitter and over 600,000 people signed a petition to cancel subscriptions. Netflix apologized for the 'inappropriate artwork.' Internal documents later revealed Netflix manipulated its search algorithm to suppress promotion and search queries related to the film, aiming to 'minimize press coverage' rather than address the concerns transparently.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Child Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Corporate Transparency | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.332 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (high ×1.5) × confidence (0.59)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
Netflix apologized for inappropriate Cuties poster but manipulated search algorithm to suppress backlash
Netflix apologized for the 'inappropriate artwork' used for Cuties in August 2020. After release in September, #CancelNetflix trended and 600,000+ people signed cancellation petitions. Internal documents obtained by The Verge revealed Netflix suppressed promotion, removed the film from categories, and adjusted search algorithms to 'minimize press coverage' rather than transparently addressing concerns.