Netflix's Big Show Caused Big Problems
If you're a Netflix user, chances are you've already seen their latest hit show Squid Game. Or, at the very least, you've heard about it. We base these assumptions on the Observer's claim that ‘Squid Game’ Is growing faster than any other Netflix original hit.
If you're completely clueless, Squid Game is a brutal survival Korean drama that features 456 strangers competing with each other at a secret location. What connects them are massive debts and the potential of winning a large sum of money. They compete over a series of given children's games, however, the stakes are higher than you could've imagined. Whoever loses the game loses their life too.
The breathtaking plot is a blatant criticism of capitalism. It poses the question of how much a human life is worth in comparison to financial gains. So it's only natural that it quickly became so popular.
However, the characters in the show are not the only ones facing problems. Netflix's lawyers are working overtime these days as lawsuits regarding the newest hit show keep arising.
People's lives are (not) a game
The production team (accidentally) used an authentic phone number in one of the episodes of the show. Little did they know that there would be fans who would call and text the number repeatedly, mostly having fun, asking to join the game.
A Korean woman, whose number was shown on a business card in an episode of the show, spoke up on the amount of calls and messages she got pushed her to the point that it's hard for her to go on with daily life. The global public frequently posted comments that she should just change her number, however, she can't - all her business clients have only this one.
Now, the streaming platform and the show’s production company Siren Pictures Inc are taking their time to resolve the problem. They announced that they would be editing the problematic scenes to remove the phone number.
"Together with the production company, we are working to resolve this matter, including editing scenes with phone numbers where necessary," Netflix said last Wednesday, asking fans to refrain from prank calls and messages.
You can't be this popular
The bizarre problems with Squid Game don't end here for Netflix.
A South Korean internet service provider has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, with intentions for the company to be ordered to pay for costs caused by a surge of traffic driven by the popularity of the series Squid Game.
The Reuters report says Netflix is the second-highest data traffic generator in South Korea, surpassed only by YouTube. Yet Netflix and YouTube parent Google are exceptions: the only companies who don't pay network usage fees. Providers such as Amazon, Apple, and Facebook, all do. Netflix also pays usage fees in other countries in order to help ensure priority service.
This lawsuit comes after a court in Korea ruled that Netflix has to pay for the broadband that it ate up as its users consumed its content. SK Broadband felt empowered to force Netflix to pay whenever it consumes excessive amounts of bandwidth or causes heavy network traffic.
“We believe in a collaborative relationship between content providers and ISPs, with each providing the best experience to our mutual consumers. We are investing heavily in bringing great K-content to our audiences around the world,” said a Netflix spokesman in a statement. “Despite ongoing litigation, we will continue to seek open dialogue with SK Broadband so consumers can continue to enjoy high-quality content streaming at fast speeds.”
Conclusion
We will end this blog by asking a simple question: was the late rapper Notorious B.I.G correct when he made the song in which he says that "more money means more problems"?
Netflix sure has this money bag giving them a fair share of headaches.
How do you think they handled these complaints? How would you react?
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Sources:
https://www.nme.com/news/tv/netflix-to-remove-squid-game-phone-number-scenes-following-complaint-3062969
https://www.cnet.com/news/netflix-rejigging-squid-game-to-cut-phone-number-after-prank-calls/
https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/squid-game-complaint-netflix
https://observer.com/2021/10/netflix-squid-game-viewership-ratings-bridgerton-witcher-stranger-things/
https://eurweb.com/2021/10/08/netflix-hit-with-lawsuit-over-korean-survival-drama-series-squid-game/