The Netflix algorithm factors in a user’s viewing history and ratings; the actions of other users with similar preferences; and information about the content itself, like genre, actors, and release dates. It also includes the time of day the user is watching, what device they’re watching on, and how long they tend to watch in that context. Netflix states that specific user demographics like age, ethnicity, and gender are not factored in—those variables might be perceived as adjacent to bias—but such identities can often be implied from other information about a user.
