According to Talking Points, Internet video streaming provider Netflix will be introducing “social features” to its service beginning next year. The report follows after the Senate’s decision last week to pass the so-called Netflix bill which aims to remove restrictions that prevented companies from sharing the rental history of their customers. This is also important for customers who want, say for example, to share on Facebook what TV shows they are watching.
“We are pleased that the Senate moved so quickly after the House,” a Netflix spokesperson told Talking Points. “We plan to introduce social features for our US members in 2013, after the president signs it.” Netflix did not specify what social features it plans to add soon, but the company has already expressed its desire to allow its customers in the U.S. to link their Netflix accounts with their Facebook accounts.
On the other hand, Netflix users in Canada and Latin America are already enjoying the feature. In the U.S.,however, a 1988 law called the Video Privacy Protection Act or VPPA prohibits companies from disclosing the personal information of its customers, including rental history.