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‘Squid Game’ Is So Popular That an Internet Provider Is Suing Netflix

The show is being streamed so heavily that a broadband company wants Netflix to pay its surging operating costs.

Squid Game, the South Korean thriller that’s on its way to becoming Netflix’s most watched series of all time, has caused internet usage to surge so much in South Korea that service providers can’t cope. One company, SK Broadband, has sued Netflix to demand it help cover costs for increased network traffic and maintenance. Netflix has previously countered that it’s only responsible for creating content and leaving it accessible, not for paying for network usage. Netflix is the biggest data traffic generator in South Korea behind YouTube. Other big generators like Amazon, Apple and Facebook pay network usage fees. A Seoul court said Netflix should “reasonably” pay something to service providers for surging network usage.