On April 29, 2025, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan charging Roku, Inc. with violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) and the Michigan Consumer Protection Act. According to the complaint, Roku illegally collected, and enabled third parties to collect, the personal information of children without providing notice or obtaining parental consent as the law required.
The Michigan AG specifically accuses Roku of systematically collecting, processing, and disclosing information protected under COPPA, including children’s locations, voice recordings, and IP addresses, obtained from the internet and Roku browsing histories. Roku is also accused of permitting third-party channels to collect and monetize children’s personal information in order to drive traffic to Roku’s platform and to increase advertising revenue. Third-party web trackers and data brokers were also allegedly permitted to collect children’s personal data, including data brokers that the FTC has sued for tracking individuals’ precise locations using their mobile devices. The complaint also alleges that Roku issued public statements and privacy disclosures to actively mislead parents about these collection practices and their right to protect their children’s personal data.
Michigan Department of Attorney General Press Release | Complaint