It turned out that Netflix used its algorithm to hide a French movie from some search results in 2020. According to the news of The Verge, a correspondence seen in internal Netflix documents, the reaction about the marketing of the movie called Cuties, caused the movie to be hidden from search results on the platform.
Cuties is a French film that aims to criticize the sexualization of young girls. Netflix’s use of images of teenage girls has drawn criticism, with some critics noting that the film itself exploits the same kind of sexualization it should criticize.
It is stated that Netflix excludes Cuties from nearby and popular search categories and searches for the word “cute”, and also ensures that searches for Cuties do not include “sexually explicit” or children’s movies.
“Our search recommendations help members find great content to watch across all the options on Netflix. Just like every member’s homepage is different, not every content is promoted in the same way,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement.
The report came to light while dealing with backlash for Netflix’s latest special, The Closer, in which comedian Dave Chappelle made jokes about transgender people. Netflix’s first defense of The Closer caused a strong reaction from the employees. CEO Ted Sarandos eventually had to admit that his defense was “lousy”.
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