Does Roku collect usage data?

[jeff90099 2]

Given that we live in an age of pervasive commercial spying, I can't help but wonder.. Does Roku collect usage data from the Emby Roku app including things like media titles, types of media served, etc? Does Roku collect any data from the app such as how many times the app is opened? Thanks!

[Luke 42077]

Hi, I can't speak for Roku but emby does not collect that sort of info.

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

I do not know for sure but in the 14 years or so I have been using a Roku not once have I received any third party marketing emails that seemed in any way to be traceable back to Roku. Also I only receive maybe two or three emails a year from Roku itself.

I have some, OK a good number, reservations about the Direction Roku took several years ago when they stopped be responsive to their customers and even stopped listening to their beta tester's reports of bugs. However I have never even suspected that Roku was sharing my email or any other targeted marketing stunts.

For me Roku is the best all around streaming platform but some of their rules makes the Roku not have a few apps I need. But those rules do not mean that there is anything Roku does that in any way invades private info.

A few years back a user with good technical skills monitored the network traffic in and out of the Roku and found no personal info ever transferred. Roku needs an internet connection to keep working correctly but that is so it can receive updates. Some people have blocked Roku's ability to update and even connect to Roku's services and, from reports, only started to have problems when the apps or streams updated and the Roku did not and it became inoperable to various degrees.

I believe that Roku is about as honorable a company as exists. I do not think you, or anyone else, need worry much about Roku collecting data. There is a greater need to worry about the microwave monitoring and other invasive technologies intrusions being done to people by the NSA or other even more nefarious organizations like  Google or Amazon or Apple.

Oh, none of the data monitored ever included filenames or any other identifiable info from local machines. The only time there is any detail at all is when there is a failure or crash and then the info sent only included the serial number of the Roku and exactly what app was operating and what failure codes were generated. Also I think they can and do send logs from a failed app to the app developers.