Netflix released a new feature Tuesday that lets Facebook users suggest TV shows and movies to friends without having to post recommendations publicly.
The feature is intended for those who don't want everyone else in social media knowing about their viewing habits, according to The Washington Post. Before the feature's launch, Netflix subscribers who used their Facebook accounts to connect to the service had to automatically disclose everything they were watching with what could be a huge amount of people. The online streaming company believed this approach kept subscribers from linking their Facebook profiles to their accounts.
The recommendations will not be shown on the subscriber's Facebook page anymore. They will also not appear in the news feeds, which their friends can view.
With the new feature, Netflix will ask subscribers connected by their Facebook accounts if they want to suggest content to a friend, and the user can choose from a list of Facebook friends, or search by name, and add an optional message. Netflix will then alert these friends about the recommendations the next time they sign in, TechCrunch reported.
The company will use Facebook Messenger to send the friend a private message if their Netflix and Facebook accounts aren't connected. Friends can thank the user for their recommendations, and the user will receive an alert when their friend watches the show or movie.
Netflix believes that giving users more control over who sees what they watch will result in them sharing their favorite shows and movies with others, The Washington Post reported. Facebook views the new feature as an opportunity to gain more loyalty from subscribers and bring in new customers.
"If you are really moved by a piece of content and you know someone in your life that would like it, you are going to want them to watch it too, so you can talk about it and get excited about it together," said Cameron Johnson, director of product development at Netflix.
