A proposed class action lawsuit has been filed against Roku and TCL, alleging that a defective software update “bricked” thousands of smart TVs, rendering them frozen, stuck on black screens, or completely unusable.
The complaint, lodged by plaintiff Terry Els in California federal court, accuses Roku and TCL North America of issuing flawed updates to the Roku operating system that “severely harm” the devices instead of enhancing them.
This lawsuit includes the Roku Select series, Roku Plus series, as well as TCL’s 3, 4, 5, and 6 series Roku TVs.
Els claims that her TCL Roku TV began malfunctioning just a few years after she bought it in 2018. A flashing white light preceded the screen going dark permanently. Interestingly, a replacement also developed similar issues, as stated in the complaint.
“At this early stage, it isn’t about whether all the TVs failed, but rather if the plaintiffs can convincingly allege a common defect related to these software updates,” noted Tarika Nuñez Navarro, a former judge and current dean at the University of St. Thomas School of Law.
She added, “If we can link the update to a consistent loss of functionality across devices, it may help the case move forward through a motion to dismiss.”
The lawsuit contends that both Roku and TCL persisted with the problematic software update, even with numerous complaints emerging from customers across various platforms, including Roku’s forums, Reddit, and social media.
Problems cited include freezing at the startup logo, boot loops, loss of picture while the audio continues, or failing to turn on completely.
The complaint also highlights Roku’s own advertising claims about automatic updates intended to ensure TVs “improve over time.”
Instead, the update allegedly caused many devices to become non-operational, leaving customers without warranty support or viable solutions.
The proposed nationwide class targets consumers who acquired affected Roku or TCL Roku TVs on or after December 16, 2024.
Roku has denied any wrongdoing in this matter.
A Roku spokesperson conveyed, “We believe this claim is unsubstantiated.”
TCL did not provide comments when approached for a response.
This lawsuit arrives at a time when tech companies are increasingly under scrutiny for claims suggesting that software updates degrade older hardware, essentially pushing consumers towards replacements.
A separate class action filed earlier this year accused Amazon of deliberately slowing down and “bricking” older Fire TV devices via software updates.
The complaint points to support documentation and troubleshooting guides from both Roku and TCL, suggesting that the companies were aware of ongoing software-related display failures.
“An individual case evolves into a class action when sufficiently many other victims are identified,” attorney Daniel Caron remarked, emphasizing that the current complaint hinges on allegations from “several users” and claims made “on information and belief” regarding Roku’s knowledge of various issues.
He warned, “Unless the plaintiffs can bolster their ‘majority’ claims during the discovery phase, it might be challenging for individual lawsuits to be designated as class actions.”
