Michigan AG sues Roku for allegedly violating children’s privacy laws
Unlike major competitors, Roku does not offer robust parental controls or child-specific user settings, the lawsuit claims
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Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a federal lawsuit against Roku on Tuesday, accusing the streaming platform of illegally collecting and sharing personal data from children without parental consent.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges Roku and its partners tracked the locations, browsing histories, voice recordings, and other identifying information on children using the company’s platform without proper notice or parental permission, as required under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Michigan Consumer Protection Act.
“Roku has blatantly violated children’s privacy laws, illegally exposing kids across Michigan to invasive data collection practices,” Nessel said. “We cannot allow companies to jeopardize the security of our children’s personal information.”
Nessel said the company failed to offer parents the ability to create child-specific profiles and instead subjected users of all ages to the same data collection tools. The complaint also accuses Roku of allowing third-party streaming channels on its platform to gather children’s personal data in order to attract advertisers and increase revenue.
Roku, which provides streaming services and live TV access to nearly half of U.S. households, has grown into one of the most widely used television platforms in the country. But unlike major competitors, Roku does not offer robust parental controls or child-specific user settings, according to the lawsuit.
The attorney general's office also alleges Roku enhanced its monetization of children’s data by partnering with web trackers and data brokers, including some previously sued by the Federal Trade Commission, and that the company misled families about the extent of the data collection.
“My office remains committed to holding accountable companies that violate the rights of Michigan families and seek to profit at the expense of children’s safety and privacy,” Nessel said.
