All of us receive emails which we stoically (1) mow down as junk or (2) condemn to spam.
One seemingly innocuous item recently caught my eye. Roku spritely announced “We’ve Recently Updated Our Privacy Policy.”
Reflexively, I dispatched it – almost. I decided instead to take a short (or so I thought) look.
Short it is not.
See for yourself: https://docs.roku.com/published/userprivacypolicy/en/us.
It turns out that a handful of states -- California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia – have established varying forms of disclosure requirements.
So Roku wearily (or is it warily?) plows through the strictures (such as they are) of the aforementioned states.
The list is pretty intrusive. Up to a point, though, what Roku gathers is (even to cynics) unsurprising.
“Commercial information, including records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.”
“Internet or other electronic network activity information, including, but not limited to, browsing history, search history, and information regarding a consumer’s interaction with an Internet website, application, or advertisement.”
“General geolocation data, such as general location and geographical information, including designated market area, country, province, state, city, and postal code.”
But then it veers into the unexpected.
“Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information.”
Thermal? Olfactory? WHAT?
“Inferences drawn from Personal Information, including your preferences, interests, and other information used to personalize your experience.”
Huh? They makes inferences?
“Personal Information that reveals racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, union membership, health, and wellness information.”
What the hey?
“Personal Information that reveals...social security, driver’s license, state identification card, or passport number, and...content of consumer emails, texts and messages where we are not the intended recipient.”
So they’re also going to root through all the information they receive, even if by accident?
That’s not all.
“Roku does not have actual knowledge that it processes the Personal Information of consumers under 13 years of age.”
So they leave open the possibility that they process it inadvertently?
“Personal Information we collect may be retained for as long as needed to fulfill legitimate business purposes…”
Like in perpetuity, perhaps?
Way, way, WAY at the bottom is this seemingly soothing Balm for the Paranoid: “You can exercise your right to opt out of the “sale” of your Personal Information, or the processing of your Personal Information for targeted advertising, and limit our use of your sensitive Personal Information, where permitted by law, by visiting Roku’s Your Privacy Choices page...”
But note well that there’s nothing in that “concession” that actually stops their data collection practices.
Whew. Do we EVER need a set of national privacy laws! (The yammering of just a few states simply will not do.)
It’s enough to make me set my Roku remote to the Dust Bunny Channel. Permanently.