gabe@gabegold.com
Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 15:13:44 -0400
Roku recently changed its policy to make it even harder for customers to take legal action. It’s a reminder of how we need to protect ourselves.
To Isaac Phillips, a software engineer in Tampa, Fla., this felt unfair. So he came up with a workaround to disconnect his Roku TV from the Internet and use it as a normal TV without Roku’s apps, which include Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services.
“It should belong to whoever paid for it,” Mr. Phillips said. “To lock somebody out of it completely just doesn't seem right. It’s pretty unacceptable.”
A Roku spokesman also provided a list of steps for those who wish to use their Roku TVs as normal TVs without an Internet connection. It involves pressing a button or pinhole on the back of the TV to reset the software and skipping the step to set up the Internet connection.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/20/technology/personaltech/roku-data-breach-companies.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
Why is it harder to opt out than it is to opt in? Because the companies are legally allowed to do this.
I suggest that Roku customers follow those steps to opt out of the new terms and hold on to what little power they have. I, for one, took this opportunity to disconnect my Roku TV from the Internet and plug in a different streaming device with less onerous terms, an old Apple TV. As for a letter to opt out, I plan to use the AI chatbot ChatGPT to draft a testy note.