LOS ANGELES — Roku announced a change of policy concerning private channels last week at its annual developer conference that will result in an effective ban of porn channels by March 1, 2022.
The news was first reported by Janko Roettgers at tech news site Protocol.
Roku did not respond to Roettgers’ request for comment.
“During its annual developer conference, Roku announced that it was restructuring how it handles channels that aren't suitable for distribution on its Channel Store,” Protocol reported.
“Private channels — or uncertified channels, as the company likes to call them — have long been used by developers for testing purposes,” the report explained. “However, the feature has also been a way for some developers to target Roku owners with content that's not allowed in the company's channel list.”
Companies affected by the ban include Pornhub, AdultEmpire, AEBN, Wicked, Adult Time and Naughty America.
“All of these companies' Roku channels are expected to disappear on March 1, 2022,” Protocol reported.
Roku has been the target of a well-funded campaign by religiously motivated anti-porn crusading group NCOSE (formerly known as Morality in Media).
