Put It on My Marquee: I Just Watched ‘Creepshow 2’

If Netflix has its way, Facebook members in the United States may soon be able to see which of their friends and family members have just video-streamed “Paranormal Activity” or “Boys Don’t Cry.”

Netflix is backing a bill in Congress that would amend the Video Privacy Protection Act, a 1988 law that requires a video services company to get a customer’s written consent when it seeks to disclose that client’s personal information, such as rental history. The new bill, passed by the House, would allow consumers to give one-time blanket consent online for a company to share their viewing habits continuously. In a social networking ecosystem where sharing information about personal activities is already ubiquitous, the bill may seem to be a no-brainer. After all, Foursquare already shares its members’ locations. Spotify already shares the titles of songs its members are playing with their Facebook cohorts. And Facebook publishes links to articles that its members’ friends have read. So, Netflix executives argue, it’s high time for a bill that would give members of video services the same option to divulge their personal details.