Netflix turns on Facebook integration

Netflix has switched on social integration in the US, allowing users to connect their account to their Facebook profile and share their viewing activity.

The functionality, which Netflix has already deployed elsewhere in the world including the UK, follows a recent amendment to the US Video Privacy Protection Act.

Dating back to 1988, this had previously banned the sharing of video rental information without express consent, though a January update to the legislation made it possible for social media users to opt-in to share their video viewing history.

Netflix will now let its US users automatically post what titles they’ve viewed and what ratings they’ve given to movie or TV shows to their Facebook profile.

By default, users will now share their viewing information within Netflix, with users able to change their social settings in the account to stop this, or turn on additional sharing to Facebook. A ‘Don’t Share This’ button will allow users to exclude certain information on individual videos.

Netflix said it is rolling out the social features in the coming days, and that all US users will have them by the end of the week.