Roku just sent out an update that requires you to submit to arbitration in order to continue to use your device. You cannot (to my knowledge but I'm working on that) circumvent this. Unless you accept the terms, you will always be forced back to the same screen.
This is a device I PAID for and yet this is forcing me into terms I fundamentally disagree with. I should be allowed to return the device over things like this
@trebach I read Roku's updated terms forbidding you from participating in class action or bringing a lawsuit against the company, and which you can only "Accept" if you want to proceed with watching your TV.
Section 1L says that you can opt-out by writing #roku via physical mail within 30 days, which I'll definitely be doing. Y'all should too.
rooting and changing the OS of smart anything, especially phones, need to be at the center of the right to repair movement, not just getting access to software drivers or hardware.
PS: i have avoided activating the Roku nonsense exactly for what the article describes.
"To opt out of #Roku's ToS update, which primarily changes the "Dispute Resolution Terms," users must send a letter to Roku's general counsel in California mentioning: "the name of each person opting out and contact information for each such person, the specific product models, software, or services used that are at issue, the email address that you used to set up your Roku account (if you have one), and, if applicable, a copy of your purchase receipt."
In the past months, more and more companies have forced their users into private arbitration agreements to avoid lawsuits and class actions.
But few have gone as far as #Roku - the device gets completely disabled until the user accepts the new arbitration rules.
Like in previous cases, it’s opt-out rather than opt-in, opt-out requests must be mailed on physical paper to the company itself (but I guess that a fax, a telegram or some smoke signals may work as well), and the opt-out window only lasts a few days. This has become a common pattern - when you don’t want somebody to do something, you just increase the friction of the process to nearly ridiculous levels.
Legislators ought to act fast. The right of suing an offender and call them accountable in front of the law is a fundamental democratic right just like voting. Forced arbitration processes are a denial of our fundamental democratic rights. And we’re letting a bunch of companies be above the law by simply dropping an updated T&Cs email in our box.
It seems like the web browser is a better experience than the Android app so far. It is not yet on #AndroidTV, but it is on #Roku, #AppleTV, and #FireTV devices. I am gonna try sideloading the Fire TV version onto my Android TV just to see if it works.
Regardless of some launch-day jankiness, it seems like there is a ton of amazing content on there and it's all freeeeeeee! You don't even need an account. 🥰
Dearie, you answered the reason #Roku did this directly in your comment: "despite spending hundreds of dollars on them [his 6 devices]".
Six video players and/or TVs costing "hundreds of dollars" and not "thousands" are the reason #Roku feels like they can do this! You owe them! Those devices cost more to make than they were sold for...
Why Tech Companies Are Not Your Friends: Lessons From #Roku
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. #privacy#rights
@owncast@mxks And hey...this is Kit, the person behind @mxks and the Owncast Newsletter! I'd love to have some friends along for the ride developing the #Owncast#Roku channel! DM me or email me if you're interested in helping!
#Roku#SmartTV#AdTech#Streaming: "Last week, Janko Roettgers, a technology and entertainment reporter, uncovered a dystopian patent filed last August by Roku, the television- and streaming-device manufacturer whose platform is used by tens of millions of people worldwide. The filing details plans for an “HDMI customized ad insertion,” which would allow TVs made by Roku to monitor video signals through the HDMI port—where users might connect a game console, a Blu-ray player, a cable box, or even another streaming device—and then inject targeted advertisements when content is paused. This would be a drastic extension of Roku’s surveillance potential: The company currently has no ability to see what users might be doing when they switch away from its proprietary streaming platform. This is apparently a problem, in that Roku is missing monetization opportunities!
Although the patent may never come to fruition (a spokesperson for Roku told me that the company had no plans to put HDMI ad insertion into any products at this time), it speaks to a dispiriting recent trend in consumer hardware. Internet-connected products can transform after the point of purchase in ways that can feel intrusive or even hostile to users. Another example from Roku: Just last month, the company presented users with an update to its terms of service, asking them to enter a pre-arbitration process that would make it harder to sue the company. On one hand, this isn’t so unusual—apps frequently force users to accept terms-of-service updates before proceeding. But on the other, it feels galling to be locked out of using your television altogether over a legal agreement: “Until I press ‘Agree’ my tv is essentially being held hostage and rendered useless,” one Roku customer posted on Reddit. “I can’t even change the HDMI input.”" https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/04/roku-tv-ads-patent/678041/
I was pissed. I bought a 40-inch Hisense with #Roku built-in because it was on sale and use it exclusively as my computer monitor. I was locked out until I agreed to their one-sided rule change.
Got my letter mailed opting out just to make a point.