Netflix quelled the promotion and search queries related to the film ‘Cuties’ at the time of its release to minimise public backlash, according to a report in The Verge. The online streaming platform pulled back Cuties’ recommendation from the “coming soon” and “popular searches” categories, the report added. The streaming giant was found to have prevented the movie from coming up on search terms like cute, steamy, sexual titles, kids’ movies by tweaking its algorithms, The Verge’s investigation revealed. Cuties’ synopsis on Netflix reads: “Eleven-year-old Amy starts to rebel against her conservative family’s traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew.” The controversy stems from the fact that the film includes scenes of the protagonist performing highly sexualised dance routines with a dance crew and shows the underage characters in other adult situations, according to Variety. Netflix did not help matters by crafting a misleading poster in its marketing communications for the film which triggered a public backlash. The investigative piece reveals how Netflix is capable of manipulating its algorithm to weather a PR storm, casting aspersions on its claims of prioritising freedom for creative expression. Why did Netflix tweak its algorithm? The aim of its tweaking was to curtail attention from the press and not come across as having removed the film page or shift its release date or launch the film because that would be construed as reactionary, as per internal documents accessed by The Verge. The company ensured that searches for problematic terms like “pedo”…
