Within the last few months, Netflix has announced that they will be cancelling fan favorite shows and movies like “The Society,” “Anne with An E,” and “I am Not OK With This” are being removed for some unexpected and unusual replacements, and fans are not happy about it. 

In April, Netflix tweeted that, “Kouvr Annon, Nikita Dragun, Sienna Mae Gomez, Chase Hudson, Larry Merritt, Thomas Petrou, Alex Warren, and Jack Wrights – a.k.a Hype House will star in a new unscripted series that will reveal a side of themselves (and their relationships) that we rarely see!” 

The tweet sparked much controversy since it was posted with fans even threatening to cancel their Netflix subscriptions. Anger stemmed from the wake of the pandemic, people have started online petitions to cancel the Hype House due to the fact that many believe the creators in the house are not taking COVID-19 seriously. Many of these influencers are being criticized for partying and not following social distancing guidelines in this pandemic. 

Similarly like The Hype House, many more controversial titles are being released, including “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” the new reality show “The Circle’,” and more seasons of the extremely disliked “Riverdale.” 

Although all the controversy is aimed at Netflix, their policies are to blame. According to Netflix, some films leave the streaming service because of licensing agreements. When a title’s license is expiring, the platform needs to consider important legal aspects, like if the rights to use the title are still available, popularity, and costs. 

Reed Hastings, Netflix’s CEO, explained that the titles differ in each country because of territorial licensing.  Netflix also has to consider copyrights and other legal facets that each country implements. Favorite titles could be used in different countries but not allowed in America for these reasons. Freshman Ruth Crawford of Spring Lake Heights is not happy about some of her  favorites being removed like “Friends” and “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” have also been removed. 

“I think it’s really annoying how all of these awesome shows are being taken off Netflix for other content that doesn’t even compare,” Crawford said. “I personally have not liked any of the new shows that have come out on Netflix in the past year.” 

Overall, Netflix has been getting much pushback for their recent announcements. But some CHS students like Freshman Emma Makin, are excited about these new releases. “I think it’s going to be interesting to see how people react to the new titles coming out. Netflix is always removing and adding new shows and movies. And maybe I could possibly find a new title I enjoy watching.” 

With a company like Netflix, streaming services are never permanent. Although fan favorites may be removed, Netflix is always switching it up with a variety of different titles.