The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider updates to the Video Privacy Protection...
The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider updates to the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) and the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) this month, the committee said. The committee agenda for Thursday’s business meeting includes consideration of HR-2471, a House-passed bill…
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which aims to clarify U.S. law to permit “video tape service providers” to obtain a consumer’s informed written consent on an ongoing basis via the Internet. The bill would amend the 24-year-old VPPA, which forbids such providers from disclosing what movies people are watching unless a customer gives them permission to do so. A committee spokeswoman told us that language to update ECPA will be included in the VPPA legislation. HR-2471, which passed the House in December 303-116, could have tremendous implications for video streaming sites such as Netflix that seek greater integration with social networks (CD Feb 1 p4). Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, D-Vt., said he understands the need to “update these digital privacy laws to keep pace with the rapid advances in technology and the many new threats to privacy that American consumers and businesses face today,” in a news release. The committee will begin its markup at 10 a.m. in Room 226 Dirksen, but a committee spokeswoman could not say exactly when lawmakers would consider the bill. “Since this is the first time this legislation is being listed on our committee’s agenda, it can be held over another week per our committee rules,” the spokeswoman told us. “I'd also expect there would be amendments and such, so timing is a bit unclear but we are clearly trying to get the ball rolling,” she said.