FLORIDA, ROKU RESOLVE LAWSUIT OVER ALLEGED SALE OF CHILDREN'S DATA

• Florida and Roku have resolved a lawsuit over accusations of illegally collecting and selling children's data.
• Roku will implement enhanced child-protection features and parental controls at an estimated cost of $25 million.
• The lawsuit was one of several filed by the Florida Attorney General's Office of Parental Rights against tech companies.

Florida and Roku have resolved a lawsuit accusing the streaming distributor – used by millions of Americans to access Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, ESPN, and many more services – of willfully collecting and selling the sensitive personal information of children in violation of state law.

Under the agreement, Roku, which is being acquired by Fox for $22 billion, will implement enhanced child-protection features and offer parents more control over their children's viewing experience, according to a June 26 release from the State Attorney General's Office. The changes will run an estimated $25 million, the release said, and will take about a year.

“This resolution ensures that meaningful safeguards will be implemented to protect the privacy and personal data for all children,” Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement. “We appreciate Roku’s cooperation in working toward a solution that provides tools for parents to decide how their children’s data are used.”

"We appreciate the constructive engagement with Attorney General Uthmeier and are focused on implementing these enhancements promptly and effectively," Roku said in its own release.

"Protecting children’s privacy and empowering parents with choice over their family’s streaming experience are priorities for Roku. We are proud of the protections we have built and are pleased to continue strengthening them with today’s announcement."

Roku lawsuit one of several from Florida AG

The lawsuit is just one to come from Uthemier's Office of Parental Rights, which was created last year.

Uthemier also has sued the online gaming platform Roblox, adult sites Nutaku and lustyheroes, the social media sites Snapchat and TikTok, and the AI service ChatGPT, accusing them of not complying with a new state law that requires aggressive age verification, among other things.

In March, Uthmeier said his office was investigating the online platform Discord for allegedly harboring predators.

A day after Florida filed suit against Snapchat, the site launched a new "Snapchat Family Safety Hub." Roblox added two age-based accounts for children, along with a series of changes such as age checks, content ratings, moderation, and expanded parental controls.

What did Florida accuse Roku of?

Uthmeier posted a video to X on Oct. 14, saying the tech company and its Florida subsidiary have "taken, used, shared and sold the personal, sensitive data of our consumers, namely our kids."

He added, "And that they've done so in violation of the Florida Digital Bill of Rights and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act."

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.

"Florida families deserve to know what is happening with their children’s personal information," Uthmeier said in a statement. "Parents – not technology companies – direct the upbringing of their children. We will hold any company that conceals or exploits that information accountable.”

What is Florida's Office of Parental Rights?

Uthmeier created the Office of Parental Rights in April 2025 to safeguard family rights in fields ranging from children’s health services to school library book selections, with an early emphasis on challenging what he saw as overreach by local school districts.

Among other charges, the state's lawsuits have alleged that the companies violated Florida's Digital Bill of Rights. The law, passed in 2023, adds strict restrictions for websites collecting data by giving users:

• The right to control personal data, including the right to confirm, access, and delete personal data from a social platform.
• The right to know that personal data will not be used against a user when purchasing a home, obtaining health insurance, or being hired.
• The right to know how internet search engines manipulate search results.
• The right to opt out of having personal data sold.
• The right to protect children from personal data collection.

C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.