State Reps Warns Of Netflix House “Absurd” Policy
A letter by State Rep Kristine Howard (D) Chester
Squid Game is a Netflix-distributed series set in a dystopian future where people compete in children’s games — and losing means death. The winner becomes rich. It’s a horrifying premise, made even more unsettling by how plausible it feels.
On that note, let’s talk about Netflix’s own recently opened entertainment venue: Netflix House. Beneath the funhouse sheen of its exhibits, the theater complex hides a dystopian secret buried in its terms of service — one that claims everyone who enters has agreed to let Netflix use their likeness.
Despite signing no waiver, visitors are subject to terms allowing the venue to record them and use their likeness, as well as the likeness of any accompanying minor children. The terms even allow Netflix to create a “simulated likeness” of both adults and children, for use by Netflix House or Netflix itself, for essentially any purpose they choose — without compensation.
In plain terms, your mere presence at Netflix House gives Netflix permission not only to record you, but to use those recordings to train artificial intelligence and to recreate your image, voice, and movements for advertising or television content.
Consider the absurdity. You enter what is essentially a theme park. The theme park then claims that by stepping inside, it can reproduce you for profit — and owes you no royalties.
Even more absurd is this: contracts like this are entirely standard, and courts routinely enforce them. If someone sued because they didn’t want to be recreated as a TV character, the fine print would likely prevail.
I have long worked to remedy this kind of legal absurdity. That’s why I introduced H.B. 49 — to combat exactly this sort of abusive consumer contract.
If passed, H.B. 49 would ensure that courts cannot uphold the waiver of fundamental rights simply because someone clicked “I Agree” to dense legalese they had no real opportunity to negotiate. Your right to your own likeness — or even your right to bring a lawsuit — should not be signed away without meaningful consent or compensation.
Please help me pass H.B. 49 by calling your state representative and telling them you don’t want to lose your face to Netflix. We all enjoy dystopian futures as entertainment. We should not be forced to live in one.