4 ms·

Great read! Isn't this a bummer though? -- "On the topic of friends, we recently released our Facebook connect feature in 46 out of the 47 countries we operate

by sigil 15y ago

Great read! Isn't this a bummer though? -- "On the topic of friends, we recently released our Facebook connect feature in 46 out of the 47 countries we operate – all but the US because of concerns with the VPPA law." (I wonder to what extent it also constrains recommendations based on user similarity.)

stephengillie 15y ago
What's this VPPA? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) was a bill passed by the United States Congress in 1988. Congress passed the VPPA after Robert Bork's video rental history was published during his Supreme Court nomination. It makes any "video tape service provider" that discloses rental information outside the ordinary course of business liable for up to $2500 in actual damages. (Covers DVD rentals too, and apparently paid-for streaming content.) Wow, never heard of that law before...
- waterlesscloud 15y ago
  It sucks. Prevents a lot of interesting possibilities. I see that it was written with good intentions, but it's a great example of unintentional consequences when it comes to legislation.
  - sbov 15y ago
    I disagree. Any company with my information should be liable for damages if they disclose my information outside of normal business. Not just video rentals.
    - ThomPete 15y ago
      But it's not Facebook that is publishing your history it would be yourself.
- ralfd 15y ago
  Interesting story. Robert Bork said that the Constitution does not contain a general "right to privacy", which somehow is related to abortion (sometimes I think all american politics is related to Roe vs Wade) and then a Journalist just visited Bork's videothek and asked for his record. http://www.theamericanporch.com/bork4.htm http://www.theamericanporch.com/bork4.htm -------------------------------------------------------- When I arrived that day I told the assistant manager I was thinking of writing about Judge Bork’s video tastes. “Cool,” the assistant manager said. “I’ll look.” While I stewed in a sudden outbreak of conscience – what if Robert Bork only rented homosexual porn…or slasher flicks…or (the…horror…) Disney? – she went upstairs to eyeball the records, returning a little glum. “There sure are a lot of them,” she said. “Is it okay if I make a Xerox copy?” Next day, while visiting Jack Shafer, I asked if an article on Judge Bork’s video rentals would interest him. “You can’t do that, “ he said. “That’s illegal.” “No, it isn’t,” I said. “Judge Bork said so.” Okay, Shafer said. Write the story. -------------------------------------------------------- Crazy!
bostonvaulter2 15y ago
This is the first I've ever heard about the VPPA law. I'll have go look it up later when I have time.
DanBC 15y ago
It's baffling that the US lacks proper privacy laws, apart from one obscure and weird law about video rental. Compare to the EU laws: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Directive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Directive)
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]

by sigil 15y ago

stephengillie 15y ago

What's this VPPA? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Privacy_Protection_Act The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) was a bill passed by the United States Congress in 1988. Congress passed the VPPA after Robert Bork's video rental history was published during his Supreme Court nomination. It makes any "video tape service provider" that discloses rental information outside the ordinary course of business liable for up to $2500 in actual damages. (Covers DVD rentals too, and apparently paid-for streaming content.) Wow, never heard of that law before...

waterlesscloud 15y ago
It sucks. Prevents a lot of interesting possibilities. I see that it was written with good intentions, but it's a great example of unintentional consequences when it comes to legislation.
- sbov 15y ago
  I disagree. Any company with my information should be liable for damages if they disclose my information outside of normal business. Not just video rentals.
  - ThomPete 15y ago
    But it's not Facebook that is publishing your history it would be yourself.
ralfd 15y ago
Interesting story. Robert Bork said that the Constitution does not contain a general "right to privacy", which somehow is related to abortion (sometimes I think all american politics is related to Roe vs Wade) and then a Journalist just visited Bork's videothek and asked for his record. http://www.theamericanporch.com/bork4.htm http://www.theamericanporch.com/bork4.htm -------------------------------------------------------- When I arrived that day I told the assistant manager I was thinking of writing about Judge Bork’s video tastes. “Cool,” the assistant manager said. “I’ll look.” While I stewed in a sudden outbreak of conscience – what if Robert Bork only rented homosexual porn…or slasher flicks…or (the…horror…) Disney? – she went upstairs to eyeball the records, returning a little glum. “There sure are a lot of them,” she said. “Is it okay if I make a Xerox copy?” Next day, while visiting Jack Shafer, I asked if an article on Judge Bork’s video rentals would interest him. “You can’t do that, “ he said. “That’s illegal.” “No, it isn’t,” I said. “Judge Bork said so.” Okay, Shafer said. Write the story. -------------------------------------------------------- Crazy!

bostonvaulter2 15y ago

This is the first I've ever heard about the VPPA law. I'll have go look it up later when I have time.

DanBC 15y ago

It's baffling that the US lacks proper privacy laws, apart from one obscure and weird law about video rental. Compare to the EU laws: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Directive http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_Protection_Directive)

deleted 15y ago
[deleted]