Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has filed a lawsuit against Roku, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The lawsuit claims that Roku violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. According to the lawsuit, Roku collected personal information from children without notifying parents or getting their consent.
Nearly half of American households, including many in Michigan, use Roku. The platform offers streaming services, live TV, and ad-supported content for viewers of all ages, including children. Unlike other platforms, Roku does not let parents create children’s profiles, meaning both adults and children are subject to the same data collection practices.
The lawsuit accuses Roku of collecting and sharing children’s personal details, including their locations, voice recordings, IP addresses, and online behavior. These types of data are protected under COPPA. The Attorney General also claims that Roku lets third-party channels collect children’s information to increase content and ad revenue. Roku allegedly collaborates with third-party trackers and data brokers to gather more data, including location tracking. Some of which the Federal Trade Commission has sued.
Roku allegedly ignored COPPA’s strict rules about collecting children’s voice data. The lawsuit also claims that Roku misleads parents about how it collects their children’s data and what rights they have to protect it.
“Roku has violated children’s privacy laws and exposed kids to harmful data collection practices,” Nessel said. “We must protect children’s personal information. My office will continue to hold companies accountable for harming Michigan families and profiting from children’s safety and privacy.”
The Attorney General is seeking to stop Roku’s alleged illegal data collection, force the company to follow state and federal laws, and recover damages, restitution, and penalties for Roku’s actions.
