Spoilers ahead for Black Mirror Season 6, episode 1, in case you haven’t watched it yet.
Netflix’s Black Mirror takes aim at the very streaming platform you’re watching it on, with a fictional version of the service called Streamberry taking a controversial approach to TV production.
In the first episode of Season 6, “Joan Is Awful,” a mid-management tech company employee called Joan (Annie Murphy) finds her life replicated in a Streamberry TV show. Within a few twists and turns, we find out how the series is being made — users sign away the rights to their digital likeness when signing up to the service, then are monitored through their personal devices.
Credit: Nick Wall/Netflix
Streamberry CEO Mona Javadi (Leila Farzad) explains to a journalist the company uses “an infinite content creator capable of willing entire multiverses into existence” to create the show using an algorithm and user monitoring. “The aim here is to launch unique, tailored content to each individual in our database, all 800 million of them, created on the fly by our system. The most relatable content imaginable.”
Now, Netflix has a promotional website that lets you “sign up” to Streamberry, which looks extremely similar to Netflix’s own website:
Credit: Netflix
You’re prompted to sign up by taking or uploading a photo of yourself which “may end up on a billboard”. Instant red flag.
As I’ve watched Black Mirror Season 6, I was…concerned about what may happen if I uploaded an actual photo of myself to the site — this did not end well for Joan. So I made up someone else for my profile, someone diabolical, someone I found on Unsplash and who I’m going to call Moriarty:
Credit: Alvan Nee
Once uploaded, you can adjust your photo or pick a new one.
Credit: Netflix / Alvan Nee
Once you’re happy, you need to click the two notably crucial boxes:
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“I consent to Netflix’s use of my image for its marketing campaign.”
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“I have read and agreed to the Terms of Service and Privacy Agreement.“
If you click this link, you can read the ToS for the “‘You Are Awful’ Streamberry Virtual Experience for Black Mirror Season 6 (‘Experience’)”, which includes this very important part:
By interacting with this Experience, you grant the Netflix entity that provides you with this Experience, its affiliates and respective successors and assigns and anyone authorized by any of them (collectively, “Netflix”), the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive right to record, depict, and/or portray you and use, and grant to others the right, but not the obligation, to record, depict, and/or portray you and use, your actual or simulated likeness, name, photograph, voice, actions, etc. in connection with the development, production, distribution, exploitation, advertising, promotion and publicity of this Experience, in all media, now known and later devised, and all languages, formats, versions, and forms related to such Experience without compensation to you or any other individual, unless prohibited by law.
This is exactly the type of digital likeness rights Joan hands over in the episode — so, I’m just saying…
When you’re done adjusting and reading and you’re ready to hand over your likeness, hit continue to get your very own Streamberry site generated to look as it does in Black Mirror. It’s just an image, but it looks legit.
Credit: Netflix / Alvan Nee
You can also download your own promotional photo to do with what you will.
Credit: Netflux
You can try it out at youareawful.com. Just remember what I said about signing over your rights.
Streamberry is not the only dig at streaming sites in Black Mirror’s “Joan Is Awful” — there’s a cheeky HBO smack in there too.
How to watch: All seasons of Black Mirror are now streaming on Netflix.
