Florida Sues Roku, Alleges Violations in Sale of Children’s Personal Data

The Lawsuit & Allegations

Florida’s Attorney General has filed a civil enforcement action against Roku and its Florida subsidiary over claims that the streaming company unlawfully collected, sold, and shared children’s sensitive personal data without parental consent.

Under the complaint, Roku is accused of gathering data tied to children’s media viewing habits, voice interactions, online behavior, and geolocation, and then providing access to that information to third-party data brokers and advertisers — all while failing to provide meaningful notice or obtain proper authorization.

The state asserts that these practices violate Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA).

Legal & Regulatory Context

• The Florida Digital Bill of Rights, passed in 2023, requires clearer notice, parental control, and consent protocols prior to companies collecting, using, or selling children’s sensitive data.

• The lawsuit is among the first major enforcement actions under that statute, illustrating a shift toward more aggressive privacy oversight at the state level.

• Roku is pushing back, arguing in court filings that it lacks “actual knowledge” of handling children's data in some instances.

Stakes & What’s at Risk

1. Civil Penalties & Injunctive Relief
   Florida is seeking monetary penalties and an injunction to stop Roku from continuing data practices deemed illegal, plus stronger safeguards and transparency requirements.

2. Industry Precedent
   This case could set a benchmark for how aggressively states enforce children’s data protections, especially on platforms with broad reach in households.

3. Reputational & Compliance Pressure
   For Roku, the lawsuit raises reputational risks and may force changes to privacy policies, parental control features, and how family content is monetized.

4. Litigation & Delay Risk
   Roku may seek to dismiss or delay parts of the suit, pushing costly legal battles. Outcomes in motions, discovery, and appeals could stretch this over years.

5. Broadening Enforcement
   Other states or agencies (e.g. FTC) may look to replicate or coordinate similar actions, increasing regulatory pressure on digital media platforms engaging in data monetization.

What to Watch

• Court Responses & Motions to Dismiss — Will Roku succeed in knocking out claims or reducing exposure?

• Discovery & Evidence — Internal documents, data flows, and broker relationships will be central in proving misuse.

• Penalties & Remedies Ordered — The magnitude of fines or structural reforms will indicate how serious Florida views violations.

• Compliance Shifts — Whether Roku changes default settings, enhances opt-out transparency, or restricts children-targeted data flows.

• Follow-on State Actions — Whether other attorney generals replicate this kind of filing under similar laws.

Bottom Line

The suit marks a bold step in Florida’s enforcement of digital privacy, especially in how children’s data is treated. For consumers, it underscores the growing tension between platform monetization models and user protections. For companies like Roku, the case may drive substantial shifts in how data is collected, used, and shared — or face serious legal and regulatory fallout.