Apps

Netflix might be snooping (and laughing) at your viewing habits

Published

December 13, 2017

Luigi Leonardo

How many times have you watched Gossip Girl over and over? Chances are, Netflix knows exactly how much time you’ve been spending on your guilty pleasures. They might even be judging you as we speak.

Jumping on the “year in review” trend, Netflix has released their “Year in Bingeing” report that breaks down how we’ve been as an audience. Depending on your views, this report can either be a load of fun or a concern for our privacy.

While similar campaigns like Spotify’s have been lauded, Netflix’s attempt at humor is lukewarm, at best. Users are taking to their social media accounts with concerns over what exactly Netflix knows about us.

In the report, Netflix outlines the shows we’ve most enjoyed and binged throughout the year. It’s harmless enough; streaming services normally track their viewer’s habits for better content. However, the report goes into shady territory when it focuses (and seemingly judges) on individual viewing habits.

“The one we’re still scratching our heads about, the person who watched Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl 365 days in a row,” the report says.

Similarly, Netflix takes to Twitter to reveal more about their viewers: “To the 53 people who’ve watched A Christmas Prince every day for the past 18 days: Who hurt you?” A Christmas Prince is a new Netflix rom-com that mashes up the princess movie classics of our childhood.

Whether it’s humble-bragging about their content or shaming their viewers, the report raises concerns over why Netflix needs individual data rather than stay focused on general trends.

Also, regardless of what Netflix’s reason is, the streaming service wrongfully assumes their viewers’ intents. As some netizens have pointed out, children and TV stores often binge the same show for hours and days on end.

In response, Netflix has defended that the service still focuses on overall trends, rather than identifying individuals.

Still, it pays to be secure over what information you share on the internet. Now, excuse us as we watch Riverdale for the 64th time.

[irp posts=”24569″ name=”9 HDR and Dolby Vision-compatible mobile devices for Netflix”]

Apps

Netflix expands its cheaper ad-supported tier to Southeast Asia

This also includes more countries in Europe and South America.

Published

May 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

If you don’t care about seeing a deluge of ads on your platforms, you’re an incredibly rare breed these days. That same skill will come in handy for those nicely priced subscription tiers that comes with ads. Netflix, for one, has one of those tiers, and it’s now coming out in more countries.

As is prevalent in other platforms today, an ad-supported subscription tier lowers the price you have to pay every month. The catch, however, is that there will be an occasional sprinkling of ads here and there.

Netflix offers this service, which allows subscribers to get the service for cheap at the expense of their time. Currently, it is limited to only a few major markets in the world. However, the platform is expanding the tier’s reach to more countries in Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia.

Starting in 2027, Netflix’s ad-supported tier will expand to 15 countries: Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Netflix says that the ad-supported tier is a popular option for subscribers. Currently, the tier has around 250 million subscribers worldwide. Since some of the new countries have a more budget-conscious attitude when it comes to purchasing services, this number will likely go up after the expansion in 2027.

Apps

Google might limit free storage to only 5GB

The change will affect new users.

Published

May 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Google One is a monthly subscription that gives you at least 200GB of cloud storage for your files and photos. For most people, a Google One subscription starts when Google inevitably tells them that their free storage space is running out and will soon stop backing up files. Starting today, new users might get that warning sooner rather than later as Google tests a lower limit to free storage.

Historically, Google offers users 15GB of free storage as a start. However, especially these days, 15GB can run out rapidly, prompting a Google One upgrade. Still, despite how “little” it is, Google’s free storage is generous compared to its contemporaries.

Now, Google is reportedly going to be more at par with the rest. As spotted on Reddit (via 9to5Google), new users will receive only 5GB of free storage. Based on Wayback Machine, the company changed its policy sometime between February to March.

Notably, 15GB is still available as an option, but users have to link their phone numbers to their accounts first.

According to Google, the policy change is meant to encourage users to upgrade their security. However, critics will point out that it just enables the company to collect more data about their users. Of note, the platform is already pushy about linking phone numbers before the change, but this adds another layer to entice people.

Also, Google confirms that the new policy is only a regional test for now. They have not announced when (or if) the change comes out for real.

Apps

Instagram takes on Snapchat yet again with new Instants feature

Posts disappear after they’re viewed once.

Published

May 14, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The popularity of Snapchat’s competitors is as fleeting as their disappearing messages. However, despite how volatile the market is, Instagram wants to try again with a new feature (and app) called Instants.

Pardon me if you’ve heard this premise before. Instants is a feature that lets users share disappearing photos. However, unlike the 24 hours allotted for Stories, Instants will disappear right after a friend views them, but they can still react and reply to them.

The idea of Instants is to trim the excess fat from what Instagram is these days. Instagram’s Adam Mosseri admits as much when he said users want as easier way to shoot content.

As such, users won’t have access to Instagram’s editing tools. They also can’t upload pre-shot content from their camera roll. Like its contemporaries like BeReal, the new Instants feature is about living in the moment and sharing exactly what users see.

Despite disappearing after a single view, Instants will be automatically archived, so they can be reuploaded as normal Stories later on.

It isn’t the Wild West, though. Even if it pares down all the extra features, Instants will still use the safety features available to all of Instagram. Users, especially young ones, can mute and block others’ Instants. Likewise, parents will have control over when and how their young children interact with the feature.