The History and Impact of Netflix

Netflix was created in 1997 by Reed Hastings and software executive Marc Randolph. Netflix's original purpose was to offer online movie rentals to the general public. In 1998, Netflix launched the first DVD rental and sales site, netflix.com. Netflix then debuted a subscription service, offering unlimited DVD rentals for one low payment a month. By the beginning of the 21st century,  Netflix introduced a personalized movie recommendation system, which uses Netflix members’ ratings to accurately predict choices for all Netflix members. In 2003, Netflix hit 1 million members. Netflix issued a patent by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office to cover its subscription rental service and several extensions. Netflix then grew to 5 million subscribers in 2006. With the evolving world of technology, Netflix introduces streaming, which allows users to watch TV shows and movies directly from their laptops. In 2008, Netflix partners with different consumer electronic companies, like PS3 and other internet connected devices. Starting in 2010, Netflix becomes available on the Apple iPad and iPhone, as well as the Nintendo Wii. Netflix expands farther than the US, starting in Canada. Netflix debuted in Europe, and won its first Primetime Emmy Engineering Award. With its growing popularity, Netflix premiered its first original stand-up special, "Bill Burr: You People Are All the Same." By 2016, Netflix is in over 130 countries, and has a multitude of original shows and movies, including  "House of Cards," "Hemlock Grove," "Arrested Development" and "Orange Is the New Black." Netflix started to win awards for their original shows, winning its first Academy Award when "The White Helmets" receives the award for Best Documentary Short Subject. Netflix continues to dominate award winning as time goes on. By 2019, Netflix had won four Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography for "ROMA," and Best Documentary Short Subject for "Period. End of Sentence." Netflix continues to be the number one streaming device used all over the globe, and adds different shows and movies monthly. 

Netflix has had positive and negative impacts on today's society. Netflix, while convenient and efficient for at home movie watching, movie theater sales have gone down. Many people would rather pay $10-$15 a month than go to a movie and spend $20-$30 per person at the movie theaters one time. Netflix has also caused companies to go out of business, one being blockbuster. Because of Netflix being at our fingertips, people spend on average 1 hour and 36 minutes a day watching netflix, while only spending 36 minutes with family members. While Netflix has been beneficial to our movie watching, it also has caused less interaction in our society.

source: Sobre a Netflix

Progressive Era

The Progressive Era started in 1907 with the first court case dealing with a journalist, Patterson vs Colorado. The journalists were sick of being thrown and jail and their first amendment right being taken advantage of. In 1915 a case about a movie where Lincoln was assassinated came to the courts when the film caused fist fights in ohio. The film was banned and the film company sued, claiming it was a prior restraint. Prior restraint is when the government stops you from speaking or writing before you have even done it. This causes subsequent punishment - when the government punishes you after the fact. The reasoning for the defence is speech action dichotomy, claiming that speech is protected under the first amendment, and action is not. This makes the film not protected under the first amendment. Journalists, movie creators, and those who wished to express their first amendment rights started to use expressive action, which is an action that has an expressive message to the public. In 1917, the US entered the war, and the US espionage act passed. In 1918, the sedition act was created, which made it a crime to talk bad about the government. This imposes on the first amendment right citizens have to speak freely. Many said the government violated the first amendment, and because the government didn't agree, they were thrown in jail. During the progressive era, the limits of the first amendment were tested in a multitude of ways.

Facebooks Invasion of Privacy

Facebook's lack of privacy and invasion on personal data has left millions of users feeling violated and untrusting of the popular social media network. Since 2018, facebook users have dealt with different issues and bugs contracting personal data and pictures that were uploaded but not posted. Many different instances have been reported where facebook or other companies used facebook to extract this data. One example is Cambridge Analytica improperly taking personal facebook data of 50 million people in order to profile and target users for political advertisements. Another example is the lack of facebook security enabled hackers to access and steal personal information in nearly half of 30 million accounts.

Not only are hackers misusing and stealing information, but facebook itself has also been accused many different times of taking and benefitting from users information. There was an incident when facebook staff did discuss selling access to user data to advertisers. The company was also accused of collecting text messages and phone call records through smartphone apps without consent. 

Social media companies should be restricted in what data they are and aren't allowed to use. If it already isn't, it should be illegal to obtain information without consent. When I go online and use facebook, I shouldn't have to worry about outside sources or facebook itself taking my information and using it to benefit them. Hopefully facebook, along with other social medias, can respect our privacy in order to not lose customers.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/dec/14/facebook-privacy-problems-roundup 

Civil War and Reconstruction Era

From 1619 to 1864, the United States was known as a slave country. Majority of men who owned land also owned slaves. In 1857, Dred Scott argued that if he was in a state where slavery was illegal, then he was not a slave. The judge said that he was a slave and not a citizen, despite the states laws. This started to stir an issue among the public, and creating a division between the north and the south. When President Lincoln was elected in 1860, he suspended Habeas Corpus, which means the government cannot arrest a citizen without a reason. Lincoln’s election also created a war on the press, because of his attempts to suppress anti-war voices. The civil war officially started in 1861 in Fort Sumter. In 1863, the emancipation proclamation was created, making it clear that the civil war was about slavery, not states rights. The Reconstruction Era started when the ending of the civil war and the 13th amendment in 1864. The ratification of the 14th amendment in 1865 made African Americans citizens. There were 3 clauses/freedoms to the 14th amendment: privilege, due process, and equal protection clause. In 1870, the 15th amendment was created to give African Americans the right to vote. The Civil Rights act in 1875 banned discrimination in public areas. In all of these cases, freedom of speech and the first amendment were important in order for people to speak their minds about discrimination and equal rights.

Credit: Notes via Prof. Smith

The Founding Era

In class, we talked about the Founding Era that occured from 1619-1808, and its relevance, as well as its importance, to the first amendment. In 1619, there were two major things that occured to note take note of. First, the founding of Jamestown took place. Second, the first slave trade begins. 1776 brings us to the Declaration of Independence and Revolutionary War. When the colonists won the war, all complaints listed in the Declaration were addressed with solutions in State Constitutions. 

When creating american democracy, the colonists wanted to insert certain things to keep the new government, whatever it may be, from ever gaining too much power. They wanted the state and federal governments to have a give and take system, creating a limited government. They also created enumerated powers, which consisted of a stated list of certain powers. If the power is not on there, the government does not have it. In 1782, the Articles of Confederation were created as a first attempt at a Constitution. With this, state governments would have a lot more power, and the federal government must share. The idea of federalism internally divided the government and the state, creating vertical checks and balances. With the failing of the Articles, the federalists created Constitution that would become hard to change. With this, the anti-federalists wanted to ensure the rights of the people, so they wanted to include the Bill of Rights. With this comes the first amendment, ensuring freedom of speech. This is important because it ensures the right of the people to say what they want about whatever they want. In 1878, 3 compromises were created: the 3/5ths compromise, 20 year rule, and the fugitive slave clause. In 1803, the results of Marbury vs Madison led to judicial review, which gives the Supreme Court power to review all actions of department and are able to deem them constitutional or not. When the slave trade ended in 1808, the Founding Era came to an end as the Civil War era started.