With efforts to fill the vacant FCC seat and tilt the commission back to a Democratic majority, the Senate is poised to try an alternate path to realizing the party’s longtime goal of restoring net neutrality rules. Championed by Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act proposes to reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service, which would open up companies including AT&T and Verizon to stricter FCC oversight. Internet service providers would be prevented from blocking or throttling content, while pricing and privacy would also receive scrutiny. Read more

Amazon is rolling out a redesigned Prime Video app for Android and connected living room devices, including Fire TV for customers worldwide, with iOS and web to follow. The company says the new interface will make discovery and navigation much easier. Among the visual enhancements are a Top 10 Chart showcasing trending Prime Video content and “Super Carousel” displays with “poster-style artwork” for Amazon Originals. Also emphasized is graphical distinction between content included with Prime memberships versus that which is available for general purchase. Read more

The latest step in the paid password-sharing strategy Netflix began testing earlier this year allows users to purchase add-home subscriptions in select countries. Expanding on the “add extra member” feature previously deployed in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, subscribers in Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras will begin in August to be able to “add a home.” Members on the Basic plan are permitted to add one extra home, Standard up to two extra, while Premium may add three. Each additional home subscription includes travel access via tablet, laptop or smartphone. Read more

Sony Interactive Entertainment has completed its acquisition of the Bellevue, Washington-based Bungie game studio. In an effort to allay antitrust concerns, the developer of the “Destiny” game series will operate as an independent subsidiary of Sony, its mandate to “continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games,” Bungie CEO Pete Parsons wrote in a blog post. Both firms have offered assurances that future game development will not be limited to PlayStation exclusives. Sony valued the developer of “Destiny” and “Destiny 2” at approximately $3.7 billion in a Friday SEC filing. Read more

Facebook’s photo- and video-sharing app Instagram is implementing a creator marketplace test on an invitation-only basis to brands active in the United States. Brands invited to participate in this early phase can use the Meta Business Suite of tools to filter creators by age, gender, interests and number of followers. They’ll also be able to filter based on the demographics of a creator’s engaged audience. Announced last year, the Instagram creator marketplace is designed to facilitate connections between brands and the creators they may find it useful to connect with regarding partnerships and marketing campaigns. Read more