Netflix Can Now Share Your Viewing History On Facebook

Netflix users will soon be able to share their viewing history with Facebook friends thanks to the passing of a recent reform bill.

Although most places allow you to share just about anything on your Facebook timeline, the Video Privacy Protection Act prevented Netflix and other streaming services from sharing a customer’s viewing history. Since the act states a person’s movie rental history cannot be disclosed without written consent, companies were forbidden from releasing such information to the public.

According to Cinema Blend, the recent reform to the privacy law now allows Netflix and its cohorts to share their histories on various social networks. The ability to display your obsession with violent Japanese cinema will soon be as easy as pressing a button.

Of course, you don’t have to participate in the program; Netflix will give its customers the opportunity to turn off the sharing feature.

“We are pleased that the Senate moved so quickly after the House. We plan to introduce social features for our US members in 2013, after the president signs it,” explained to Talking Points Memo.

Netflix stated that the company had been pursuing a change to the Video Privacy Protection Act since 2011. Although other countries have enjoyed the feature for a while now, Netflix said it was ultimately prevented from offering the service due to the 1988 privacy law.

In a nutshell, the Video Privacy Protection Act prevented a person’s movie rental history from being released to the public without the individual’s permission. The law was passed in 1988 when supreme court candidate Robert Bork’s history was leaked to a Washington, D.C. newspaper.

According to Ars Technica, Bork was furious that people knew he enjoyed watching costume dramas such as The Private Life of Henry the Eighth. Congress took note of the situation and later passed the Video Privacy Protection Act.

Do you place to share your Netflix viewing history on Facebook?