Netflix Tracking Some Android Users’ Physical Activity

Some Android users were surprised to find a request for “physical activity permission” on their apps. What is Netflix going to do with the data?

‘Physical Activity Permission’

It was just last week when a security researcher tweeted about the “physical activity permission” that popped up on the app on his Android device, asking the streaming service why it wanted to access the device’s physical activity sensors. However, while many did not have the same experience, some found out that they weren’t even asked for permission to access the data, as it was already turned on in some devices.

In a statement, Netflix explained that it is part of a test to see how they can improve video playback quality if a user is using Netflix while on the move. Further, Netflix’s states that only some accounts are being tested, and that they are not currently planning to roll it out on a bigger scale.

Netflix On-The-Go

Netflix appears to be taking advantage of Android Q’s activity recognition permission to better their services. With it, the recognition feature could possibly let Netflix know if their users are moving while using the app, giving them the chance to improve playback for people who tend to use the service while on the move, say during a commute or while walking down the street.

“We are continually testing ways to give our members a better experience,” Netflix said in a statement to the The Next Web.

That said, Netflix did not state exactly how the data will be used, and people who do not want their physical activity data to be tracked can simply turn it off by going to Settings and turning the “Physical Activity Permission” on Application to “deny” from “allow.”