Netflix hires more lobbyists for push on video rental law

Netflix has hired the firm Greenberg Traurig to lobby Congress to amend a video privacy law.

The Video Privacy Protection Act was passed in 1988 after the Washington City Paper published a list of video rentals by Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork during his contentious nomination process. Although his rental history was mostly innocuous, members of Congress were outraged at the breach of privacy. The law bans sharing of rental information without written consent by the consumer or a warrant from the police.

Netflix argues the law should be amended to allow users to opt in to automatically share their viewing habits on social networks. Users can already share on Facebook which songs they listen to and which articles they read.

Greenberg Traurig lobbyist Edward Barron, a former staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee, will push for the changes on behalf of Netflix. Alan Slomowitz, who served as chief of staff to former Rep. Robert Borski (D-Pa.), and Michael Williams, a former lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, will also work on the account. 

The online streaming giant is not new to K Street. Netflix spent $100,000 on lobbying last quarter, down from $175,000 in the forth quarter, public records show.

Kountoupes Consulting and Monument Policy Group both lobbied for Netflix in the first quarter, bringing the Netflix lobbying roster to three firms with the company’s newest hire. Franklin Square Group stopped lobbying for the company in the same quarter.

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