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| Long title | An act to amend title 18, United States Code, to preserve personal privacy with respect to the rental, purchase, or delivery of video tapes or similar audio visual materials. |
|---|---|
| Acronyms (colloquial) | VPPA |
| Enacted by | the 100th United States Congress |
| Effective | November 5, 1988 |
| Citations | |
| Public law | Pub. L. 100–618 |
| Statutes at Large | 102 Stat. 3195 |
| Codification | |
| Titles amended | Title 18 of the United States Code |
| U.S.C. sections created | 18 U.S.C. § 2710 |
| Legislative history | |
| |
| Major amendments | |
| Pub. L. 112–258 (text) (PDF) | |
The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) is a bill that was passed by the United States Congress in 1988 as Pub. L. 100–618 and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. It was created to prevent what it refers to as "wrongful disclosure of video tape rental or sale records"[1] or similar audio visual materials, to cover items such as video games.[2] Congress passed the VPPA after Robert Bork's video rental history was published during his Supreme Court nomination and it became known as the "Bork bill".[3] It makes any "video tape service provider" that discloses rental information outside the ordinary course of business liable for up to $2,500 in actual damages unless the consumer has consented, the consumer had the opportunity to consent, or the data was subject to a court order or warrant.
In 2013, the law was amended to add provisions allowing consumers to electronically consent to sharing video rental histories and to extend the time that consent cant last for up to two years.[4] The law became a focus of attention in the legal industry once again in the twenty-first century with the rise of audiovisual content sharing through digital media. Its revival is part of a trend in the filing of consumer privacy class actions, both through new laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act and older laws like the VPPA and wiretapping statutes.
- ^ 18 U.S.C. § 2710: Wrongful disclosure of video tape rental or sale records
- ^ "EPIC Video Privacy Protection Act Page". Electronic Privacy Information Center. Retrieved March 3, 2005.
- ^ "Dodging the Thought Police: Privacy of Online Video and Other Content Under the "Bork Bill"". Harvard Journal of Law & Technology. August 14, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
- ^ "PUBLIC LAW 112–249—JAN. 10, 2013" (PDF). Congress.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2024.