The Supreme Court will hear a case concerning the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) of 1988 and its application to online video. The case, _Michael Salazar v. Paramount Global_, centers on whether Paramount violated the VPPA by sharing a user's viewing history with Facebook. This legal battle raises questions about how the law, originally designed for video rentals, applies to modern streaming and social media.

At issue is the definition of “consumer” within the VPPA and whether it extends beyond audiovisual content. Salazar claims his subscription to a 247Sports newsletter qualified him as a consumer. Paramount used a Facebook Pixel to track user activity. The lower courts have disagreed, creating a split as to what constitutes “goods or services” under the law, prompting the Supreme Court to intervene.

The core of the matter turns on whether the VPPA's protections extend to all of a video provider's services, or solely to its video content. The outcome will have broad implications for how user data is handled by online video platforms and the scope of consumer privacy rights in the digital age.

This case highlights the challenges of applying outdated laws to modern technology. The Supreme Court's decision will clarify the VPPA's reach, potentially impacting how companies collect and share user data. It's an important moment for digital privacy.