https://juliareda.eu/2017/09/secret-copyright-infringement-s...
There is a different incentive at play here. Netflix wants to track individuals. I wouldn't be surprised if some other agreement were behind this move, perhaps like other secret agreements:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-cost...
Maybe this is naive, but doesn't Netflix already have enough information from the account already? Credit card info, name, address… what does having an IP address get them in addition to all that?
Information is deceptive because it's exponential. Detectives often make or break cases on a single lucky clue. Data mining on the Internet is no different. Information goes massively further than most people realize.
No, the second idea is silly. They already have buckets of information. In fact, they have a whole team dedicated to making sure they don't hold onto certain types of PII (Personally identifiable Info)
They have their flaws, but they don't waste time doing useless shit (once they have figured that out).
I mean, obviously they notice which accounts are breaking whatever rules are currently in force.