Warning: *privacy not included with this product

Roku Streambar & Soundbar

Wi-Fi Bluetooth

Review date: Nov. 2, 2020

Mozilla says

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

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?

What data does the company collect?

How does the company use this data?

Roku shares 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 shares aggregated data with third party channels about how you use their channels. Roku may share your personal information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

How can you control your data?

You can request that data be deleted. You can ask Roku to stop personalizing your ads, and to limit ad tracking in your Settings. Your opt-outs are device specific and does not carry over to other Roku devices. You have to opt-out for each individual device. You can disable Automatic Content Recognition in your Settings.

What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?

Needs Improvement

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

Roku Privacy Policy

Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?

Yes

Encryption

Yes

Uses encryption in transit and at rest.

Strong password

Yes

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

Yes

Manages vulnerabilities

Yes

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

Yes

Does the product use AI?

Yes

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?

Can’t Determine

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?

Can’t Determine

Dive Deeper

How to Turn Off Smart TV Snooping Features
Consumer Reports
Samsung and Roku Smart TVs Vulnerable to Hacking, Consumer Reports Finds
Consumer Reports
Roku is in the ad business, not the hardware business, says CEO
The Verge
Roku leaves rivals in dust – claiming machine learning breakthrough
ReTHINK