Roku committed to coming into compliance with state law, Florida Attorney General announced James Uthmeier said. (Photo via Roku)
Attorney General James Uthmeier says Roku will come into compliance with state law under a settlement of a legal complaint he filed last year.
Engineering to bring the company into compliance with Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights will cost it $25 million, Uthmeier’s office said. However, the agreement, Uthmeier said, does not include any finding of wrongdoing or a fine.
“Our resolution ensures that meaningful safeguards will be implemented to protect the privacy and personal data for our children. Parents have a right to control the upbringing of their kids,” Uthmeier said in a video posted to social media.
Florida attorney general alleges Roku sold kids’ information
Uthmeier’s Office of Parental Rights filed suit in the Collier County Circuit Court in October. The AG opened that office just over a year ago in the interest of “putting our money where our mouth is.”
“We believe that Roku has taken, used, shared, and sold the personal, sensitive data of our consumers, namely, our kids, and that they’ve done so in violation of the Florida Digital Bill of Rights and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act,” Uthmeier said in a video posted to his social media at the time of the filing.
The company wasn’t protecting parental consent rights or effectively disclosing privacy controls and opt-out tools, the attorney general said at the time.
Roku forms partnerships with third-party data brokers “in an effort to avoid complying with Florida law,” Uthmeier contended last year.
The complaint alleged Roku does not perform age verification and thus does not comply with the Florida statute, passed in 2023. The Digital Bill of Rights was designed to protect children and others from big tech, the Phoenix reported at the time.
Uthmeier says engineering the implementation is “expected to begin immediately, with full deployment nationwide anticipated within twelve months.
“We appreciate the constructive engagement with Attorney General Uthmeier and are focused on implementing these enhancements promptly and effectively,” Roku said in a news release. “Protecting children’s privacy and empowering parents with choice over their family’s streaming experience are priorities for Roku. We are proud of the protections we have built and are pleased to continue strengthening them with today’s announcement.”
