Terri Else Files Proposed Class Action Against Roku and TCL Over TV Software Updates

Terri Else filed a proposed class action lawsuit in federal court in California against Roku and TCL North America, accusing the companies of rolling out faulty Roku operating system updates that materially impair televisions. The suit targets Roku Select Series, Roku Plus Series and TCL 3, 4, 5 and 6-Series Roku TVs. Else bought a TCL Roku TV in 2018.

A few years later the set began malfunctioning by flashing a white light before the screen went black permanently. A replacement TV purchased by Else later suffered similar issues. The proposed nationwide class would cover consumers who purchased affected Roku or TCL Roku TVs after Dec.

16, 2024. Roku marketed automatic software updates as a way for TVs to get better over time. Instead the updates caused televisions to freeze on startup logos, enter boot loops, lose picture while audio continued playing, or fail to turn on altogether.

Roku and TCL continued pushing software updates despite widespread customer complaints on Roku’s community forums, Reddit and social media. Customers were denied warranty coverage or meaningful fixes after the updates rendered devices inoperable. The Roku complaint argues the companies were aware of recurring software-related display failures, citing support pages and troubleshooting guides posted online by both Roku and TCL.

Roku denied wrongdoing. “We believe the claims are meritless,” a Roku spokesperson told The Post.

TCL did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The lawsuit comes as tech companies face increasing scrutiny over claims that software updates degrade older hardware and push consumers toward buying replacements. A separate proposed class action filed earlier this year accused Amazon of intentionally slowing and bricking older Fire TV streaming devices through software updates.

Tarlika Nunez Navarro, a former judge and current dean of St. Thomas University College of Law, told The Post the early legal question centers on whether plaintiffs have plausibly alleged a common defect. “At the early stage, the question isn’t whether every television failed — it’s whether the plaintiffs have plausibly alleged a common defect tied to these software updates,” she said.

Attorney Daniel Karon told The Post that numerosity remains a key hurdle for class certification. “An individual case becomes a class-action case only if a sufficient number of other victims exist,” he said. com reported that the complaint currently relies in part on allegations from several users and claims made upon information and belief about Roku’s awareness of widespread problems.