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Turns Out Netflix Was Watching And Recording Your 'Bandersnatch' Choices All Along
Netflix's newest installment in their Black Mirror anthology, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, has been a resounding success.
The choose-your-own-adventure style story depicts the journey of computer programmer Stephan Butler as he works to create a computer game of the same style.
Users choose between multiple options to direct the story, and the outcome changes depending on those choices.
As it turns out, Netflix was tracking and collecting this data.
London-based researcher Michael Veale made a GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) request to Netflix asking that they send him the data gathered from his account. The result was a fascinating look at how and what data was being collected.
He shared this result on twitter with explanations as to what the info meant.
User reactions were varied.
Some thought it was fitting that Netflix was gathering data from Bandersnatch.
One user had an unexpected reason for wanting to know what people chose.
Most people were thankful to Veale for requesting and compiling the information.
One user was planning to use the thread and information as a teaching aid.
The GDPR is allowing us to learn more about what data companies are gathering from us, and how they're using it.
How fitting that the data we're learning about this from is a Black Mirror film.