Warning: *privacy not included with this product
Roku Streambar & Soundbar
Roku
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
No lie, the speakers built into most TV kinda stink. Easy solution: upgrade the sound on your TV with a soundbar. Why not make it Roku's streambar or soundbar that can also stream in 4K your TV, movies, and news, as well as play music from Spotify or a Bluetooth connected device? The only reason we can see you might not want to do this is if you're worried about Roku snooping on every single thing you ever stream, watch, listen to, whether you do it it through the Roku or not, and then selling it to lord knows who. Yeah, you might not want that.
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Roku is the nosey, gossipy neighbor of connected devices. They track just about everything! And then they share that data with way too many people. According to Roku's privacy policy, they share your personal data with advertisers to show you targeted ads and create profiles about you over time and across different services and devices. Roku also gives advertisers detailed data about your interactions with advertisements, your demographic data, and audience segment. Roku shares viewing data with measurement providers who may target you with ads. Roku may share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes. One of the researchers working on this guide said, "It had such a scary privacy policy, I didn't even connect it to my TV." Another researcher referred to Roku as a "privacy nightmare."
mobile
Privacy
Security
A.I.
Security
A.I.
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: No
App: No
Microphone
Device: Yes
App: Yes
Tracks location
Device: Yes
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
No
Phone
No
Third-party account
No
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Name, email, phone number, address, date of birth, viewing habits
Body related
Social
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
Consumer Reports found that the Roku was vulnerable to hacking in 2018.
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Uses encryption in transit and at rest.
Strong password
There is a password for a Roku account but no password is required to use a Roku device once it’s set up.
Security updates
Manages vulnerabilities
Roku does not have a formal bug bounty program, but Roku has paid bounties in the past to people who disclosed security issues.
Privacy policy
Does the product use AI?
Roku uses Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) to track what you are watching on TV. They use this information to help advertisers target you more accurately.
Is this AI untrustworthy?
What kind of decisions does the AI make about you or for you?
Is the company transparent about how the AI works?
Does the user have control over the AI features?
News
How to Turn Off Smart TV Snooping Features
Your TV may know—and share—a lot of information about you.
That’s what CR has found repeatedly in recent years, including during a 2018 analysis of privacy and security in smart TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony, TCL (which uses the Roku TV smart TV platform), and Vizio.
Samsung and Roku Smart TVs Vulnerable to Hacking, Consumer Reports Finds
Consumer Reports has found that millions of smart TVs can be controlled by hackers exploiting easy-to-find security flaws.
The problems affect Samsung televisions, along with models made by TCL and other brands that use the Roku TV smart-TV platform, as well as streaming devices such as the Roku Ultra.
Roku is in the ad business, not the hardware business, says CEO
Roku sells more dedicated streaming devices than perhaps any other company in the world. It’s been estimated that there are more Rokus in US households than there are Fire TVs, Chromecasts, or Apple TVs. (Amazon strongly disagrees, but has never shared any sales numbers.) But here’s something that might surprise you: the money that Roku makes from its hardware lineup isn’t enough to sustain the company’s business.
Roku leaves rivals in dust – claiming machine learning breakthrough
Roku blew away its numbers in style as the US streaming company surpassed 30 million active users in Q2 2019 – comprehensively extending its native dominance in the connected TV space. But while Roku’s second quarter results are a milestone for the company, they also signify significant tailwinds in a broader field – advertising.
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