Should companies refrain altogether from publicizing customer data, even anonymously, for marketing purposes?

Interactive Edge’s CEO, Zel Bianco comments:

Friends can be funny. Sometimes. Services you pay for should always try to be neutral. It’s a golden rule of appropriate business behavior that you should never talk about politics or religion. Yes, it was meant to be funny or cute, but they have to find another way.

Did Netflix cross the data-disclosure line?