Fate Of Netflix-Facebook Integration In Hands Of Congress--Right Now!

Bipartisan bill H.R. 2471 would create a way for people to expressly allow companies like Netflix or Facebook to share their video rental history on the web. And it's scheduled for a floor vote.

If passed, it would correct a frustrating situation outlined by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings in September, when he joined Mark Zuckerberg on stage at the f8 developer conference to make a surprise announcement: Netflix's domestic subscribers would not be able to integrate their accounts to share films and TV shows on Facebook's open graph. Forty-four of the 45 countries where Netflix is available--in Latin America, Canada--have access to the new Facebook integration that lets them share their movie watching choices. But in the U.S., an antiquated 1988 bill called the Video Privacy Protection Act forbids the disclosure of one's video rental information--even if the renter is okay with the disclosure. So domestic subscribers of Netflix would have to wait. Seems like an easy fix--today's legislation adds a sentence-length amendment to the original law. However, the legislation, which has supporters and co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle, is facing detractors, namely one sources say is Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC).