Fox completed its reported $22 billion acquisition of Roku on November 6, 2026, after the Justice Department concluded the deal was unlikely to harm competition and closed its investigation. Fox committed to carry non-Fox content for at least three years, avoid disadvantaging rivals in search and placement, and preserve data safeguards; the DOJ said it could reassess if circumstances change.
As part of its agreement with the competition regulators, Fox said it would remain open to rivals, according to the Justice Department. The company will continue carrying non-Fox movies and TV shows for at least three years, ensure competing services aren’t pushed down in search results or denied prominent placement on home screens and make audience data available to third parties. It also agreed to maintain safeguards preventing it from sharing sensitive information about rival content providers, including data on what users search for, watch and click until at least 2029.
The acquisition has raised concerns that Fox could give its own programming, including Fox News, preferential placement on Roku’s home screen. Fox has assured users that Roku will continue to be a “leading open ecosystem for the broader streaming industry,” according to the press release.
Roku said on April 12, 2024, that attackers used passwords leaked elsewhere to access 576,000 accounts, following a smaller intrusion it addressed in March. The company said fewer than 400 accounts were used to make purchases. Roku reset affected passwords and said it was implementing two-factor authentication for all accounts.
The streaming video service Roku warned customers Friday that 576,000 accounts had been compromised, a breach it discovered in the midst of its investigation of a far smaller-scale intrusion that it dealt with in March. Roku said that rather than actually penetrating Roku’s own network through a security vulnerability, the hackers had carried out a “credential-stuffing” attack in which they tried passwords for users that had leaked elsewhere, thus breaking into accounts where users had reused those passwords. The company noted that in less than 400 cases, hackers had actually exploited their access to make purchases with the hijacked accounts. But the company nonetheless reset users’ passwords and is implementing two-factor authentication on all user accounts.
A How-To Geek contributor says Roku TVs’ automatic content recognition can collect information about viewing on live TV and connected HDMI or AV devices, for recommendations and more relevant ads. The contributor says turning it off does not delete information previously collected and recommends disabling “Use info from TV inputs” in Smart TV Experience settings.
If there's one Roku privacy setting I think people should disable first, it's automatic content recognition, or ACR. On Roku TVs, this is tied to the Smart TV Experience, and it uses ACR to collect information about what you watch on live TV and on devices connected through HDMI or AV inputs, like cable boxes, game consoles, and media PCs. Roku says that data is used to analyze what you watch for recommendations and more relevant ads, which is exactly why I find it so invasive. I don't love the idea of my TV analyzing what's on screen across inputs just to sharpen ad targeting.
A February 11, 2026 ZDNET article says Roku collects information such as searches, voice-feature audio, channel use and ad interactions, and shares data with advertisers. It describes settings that can limit some tracking, while noting that turning off ACR may not stop all collection.
According to its policy, Roku collects much information from its streaming devices. Your search history, search results, audio information from voice features, accessed channels (including usage statistics such as time and duration), content and advertisement interactions, and specific settings and preferences are exempted from privacy restrictions unless you demand otherwise. And, yes, Roku shares data with advertisers.
An August 6, 2026 Engadget article says Roku gathers device, browsing, viewing and ad-interaction information, which can support analytics and targeted advertising. It describes controls for ACR, ad personalization and microphone access, but says disabling ACR does not eliminate all tracking; some state residents may request limits on data sharing.
But while many viewers may take such policies as a matter of course, some will likely be surprised at the depth of Roku's data collection. Diving into Roku's privacy policy reveals that the company's products, including its website, streaming devices, channel and televisions, track what, when, how and where you watch your content. Of course, veterans of the algorithm-driven economy will note that social media apps have tracked your information for years, using your viewing habits to curate content, maximize performance and, yes, sell you things. But for some users, Roku's privacy policy might feel a more intimate violation of trust. While algorithmic curation is, in part, inherent to the social media experience, many like to think that their household appliances fall outside the bounds of these data-hungry business models. And while it may seem obvious that Roku would curate advertisements to their users, knowing that the big-data economy has extended to your standard household products can be a sobering realization.
InfluenceWatch says Roku founder Anthony Wood largely supported Republican candidates and causes, including in the 2022 midterms. AOL reported in July 2024 that he was among J.D. Vance’s billionaire supporters but gave no amount for Wood. InfluenceWatch also describes Wood’s philanthropy, including gifts for research, mental health and Texas charities.
Most of Wood’s political donations are in support Republican Party causes and candidates. In the 2022 midterms, Wood was a supporter of the National Republican Congressional Committee party committee and the conservative super PACs Take Back the House 2022, Senate Leadership Fund, and Protect Ohio Values PAC. Nearly all his individual candidate donations were to Republicans. 3
Wood is a major donor to Republican Party-aligned candidates and causes. During the 2022 midterm elections, Wood was a donor to numerous Republican Party congressional and Senate candidates. He was also a major supporter to numerous super PACs and party committees that were attempting to win back the U.S. Congress for Republicans. 3
Michigan’s attorney general sued Roku on April 29, 2025, alleging unlawful collection and disclosure of children’s data without required notice or parental consent. Florida later resolved a similar lawsuit; the state said Roku would add child protections and parental controls at an estimated $25 million cost. Roku said it would implement the enhancements.
The lawsuit alleges that Roku systematically collects, processes, and discloses the personal information of children, including their locations, voice recordings, IP addresses, and persistent identifiers that track children’s browsing histories on Roku and across the internet. All of these are categories of personal information protected under COPPA. The Attorney General further alleges that Roku enables third-party channels to collect children’s personal information to attract content providers to its platform and increase advertising revenue. Roku also allegedly enhances its collection and monetization of children’s personal information through partnerships with third-party web trackers and data brokers, some of which have been sued by the Federal Trade Commission for tracking individuals’ locations.
The suit alleged that Roku ignored "clear indicia of the presence of children on its platform," and willfully disregarded its sharing of their personal data without obtaining parental consent in violation of state laws while misrepresenting the effectiveness of its privacy controls and opt-out tools.
In an April 29, 2026 article, a HowToGeek writer said Roku collects ad, viewing and background data by default and described personal steps to limit it. The writer recommends disabling ad personalization and resetting the advertising identifier, while noting that these settings do not remove ads or completely stop tracking.
I like Roku for how simple and reliable it is, but I'm not a fan of how much data it collects by default. Ad tracking, viewing habits, and behind-the-scenes data sharing are all part of the package unless you step in and change a few settings. So that's exactly what I do. These are the steps I take to keep tracking to an absolute minimum without giving up the parts of Roku I actually enjoy.
The next thing I always do is limit ad tracking and reset the advertising ID. Roku assigns your device a unique ID that advertisers use to build a profile based on what you watch and interact with. That's how you end up seeing oddly specific ads that feel a little too accurate. I'm not expecting to get rid of ads entirely, that's just part of using a platform like Roku or Fire TV, but I don't see any reason to let it keep building a long-term profile tied to one identifier.
A How-To Geek article dated April 29, 2026, says Roku collects viewing and device-use data and may share identifiers, activity and usage information with partners, advertisers and service providers for advertising, analytics and recommendations. The writer recommends disabling available sharing controls and personalized ads, while cautioning that these steps do not end data collection.
Beyond what Roku collects directly, there's also the question of who else gets access to that data. This part is a little less visible. Roku can share certain information with partners, advertisers, and service providers to support ads, analytics, and recommendations. That can include things like device identifiers, viewing activity, and general usage data. Roku doesn't make this obvious in the interface, but the end result is the same: your data doesn't just stay on your TV, it can be used across a broader advertising ecosystem.
A How-To Geek contributor says Roku may log voice commands, search queries and on-screen keyboard entries to improve recognition and recommendations, and sometimes support targeted ads. The contributor recommends limiting voice-data settings and ad personalization, or avoiding microphone use; the article does not establish how long data is retained.
If you use Roku's voice features or even just search across apps, you're feeding it another layer of data. That includes voice commands, search queries, and even what you type with the on-screen keyboard. Roku uses this to improve voice recognition, refine recommendations, and in some cases support more targeted ads. That all makes sense on paper, but it also means your intent is being logged, not just what you end up watching.
Roku founder and CEO Anthony Wood and his wife Susan support causes through WoodNext, including health research, mental health, disaster recovery and economic opportunity. In December 2022, the WoodNext Foundation awarded the Center for Scientific Integrity a two-year $250,000 grant, enabling Retraction Watch to hire an editor and expand freelance reporting.
Wood is a relative newcomer to big philanthropy, but his penchant for setting enterprises in motion appears to be galvanizing a growing giving operation, if a bit of an unorthodox one. Sizable gifts to pump up several giving vehicles landed him a spot on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of America’s 50 biggest donors in 2022, with over $71 million in charitable commitments last year.
The WoodNext Foundation is the philanthropy of tech innovator and Roku CEO/founder Anthony Wood and his wife Susan, and its mission is “to advance human progress and remove obstacles to a fulfilling life.”
A February 2020 Washington Post report said political ads were appearing on Hulu, Roku and other streaming services, highlighting loopholes in federal election laws. Watchdogs worried that viewers cutting cable might not fully understand who was trying to influence them. The supplied excerpt gives an example from Hulu, not a specific Roku ad.
Political ads are flooding Hulu, Roku and other streaming services, revealing loopholes in federal election laws
On July 18, 2025, a federal judge dismissed some of Dolby’s contract claims against Roku and rejected a willfulness claim that could have increased damages. Dolby may proceed with other contract, patent and copyright claims alleging Roku distributed software licensed only for testing through updates to hundreds of millions of users.
Roku nixed some contract claims and escaped a willfulness claim that could have tripled any patent infringement damages in a July 18 opinion by US District Judge Edward J. Davila. But Dolby can proceed with some contract, patent, and copyright claims in its lawsuit alleging Roku pushed several software updates that contained software it had only licensed for testing to hundreds of millions of users.
Roku registered in-house lobbyist Gail Slater in 2022 to work on privacy and antitrust bills and monitor copyright legislation, while also retaining outside firms. A 2024 disclosure lists Roku as its own client and reports $250,000 in lobbying income for the period; OpenSecrets lists $380,000 for 2024 and $920,000 for 2023.
ROKU REGISTERS AN IN-HOUSE LOBBYIST: The streaming platform Roku has registered its first in-house lobbyist, according to disclosures filed this week. Gail Slater, who joined the company in February from Fox Corp., and is a former FTC attorney and a Trump White House alum, will lobby on privacy and antitrust bills and monitor potential copyright legislation.
Issues related to privacy legislation. Issues related to antitrust legislation. Issues related to potential copyright legislation. Issues related to video streaming regulation. Issues related to telecommunications policy. No specific legislation.
After first removing the Russian state-backed RT channel in Europe, Roku confirmed on March 1–2, 2022, that it was removing RT from its Channel Store everywhere, including the United States. Coverage linked the decision to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; Roku’s statement confirmed the removal, without specifying a motive.
Roku is joining the ranks of tech companies dropping state-backed Russian media following that country's invasion of Ukraine. The company has confirmed to Politico that it's pulling the RT channel from its worldwide platform after initially removing it in Europe, where the European Union banned the media outlet along with another state-supported news agency, Sputnik.
After initially dropping the Russia-backed news channel RT in Europe, Roku says it is now dropping the channel from its Roku Channel Store everywhere — including in its US market.
CNET reported on March 8, 2024, that some customers opening Roku TVs or players encountered a terms pop-up and could not use the devices until accepting. Roku’s updated arbitration terms took effect February 20; the company said it informs customers about updates. CNET said customers could opt out within 30 days by mailed letter.
Did you get a pop-up message when you queued up your Roku device? The company has been notifying customers about changes to its dispute resolution terms. While some users received emails informing them of the update, others discovered it upon opening up Roku TVs or media players and found themselves blocked from using the hardware — until they agreed to the new terms.