Netflix uses ‘House of Cards’ in Web fight

Netflix is calling up Frank Underwood from “House of Cards” to go to bat for net neutrality.

The controversial Federal Communications Commission regulation isn’t a major plot point in the political drama series — at least not yet — but Netflix is using the show’s Twitter account to fire back at AT&T’s opposition to tough new rules.

@ATTPublicPolicy AT&T’s lobbyist calling out lobbyists? Attack of candor, indeed.

— House of Cards (@HouseofCards) March 9, 2015

The tweet from the show’s account is an interesting display of industry bickering, given that Netflix has plenty of other outlets for criticizing AT&T.

{mosads}But “House of Cards” is popular among Beltway political and policy wonks, and Netflix might have decided that its 490,000 Twitter followers were a prime forum for its tongue-in-cheek jab at AT&T.

The tweet “was intended to be light-hearted,” a Netflix spokeswoman said in an email to The Hill.

The barb came in response to allegations that Netflix had backtracked on its support for tough net neutrality regulations. The new rules effectively reclassify broadband Internet to treat it as a utility. Critics leaped at comments from Netflix’s chief financial officer last week, which AT&T called “an attack of candor,” leading to Monday evening’s Twitter rebuttal. 

AT&T spokesman Michael Balmoris said that the message was “at least consistent.”

“Netflix has been channeling Frank Underwood throughout this proceeding,” he added.

AT&T and other Internet service companies have warned that the new FCC rules will clamp down on innovation and prevent companies like theirs from investing in new and faster services, among other adverse consequences.

–This report was updated at 1:59 p.m.