I'm writing because I'm concerned to learn that Roku facilitates hardcore potentially obscene explicit material through its hundreds of private and hidden streaming channels. This stands in direct opposition to the policies of other streaming device industry leaders such as Apple TV or Amazon's Fire TV, who have rightly kept explicit content off of their systems. Roku is facilitating access to hardcore XXX videos, including sites that frequently depict themes of rape, violence, teen and child, incest, and racist. Is this the reputation you want for your brand? Beyond the social consequences of normalizing themes like sexual violence, hardcore explicit vidoes have numerous public health harms, including: These videos are linked to increased sexual violence: a 2015 meta-analysis of 22 studies from seven countries found that internationally the consumption of pornography was significantly associated with increases in verbal and physical aggression, among males and females alike.[1] Using this material shrinks the brain: a 2014 study found that increased "adult" video use is linked to decreased brain matter in the areas of motivation and decision-making, impaired impulse control, and desensitization to sexual reward. [2] This material also leads to many dysfunctions, including lower overall sexual satisfaction, and lower erectile function. [3] Please follow the industry standards set forth by other industry leaders and to get out of the business of facilitating hardcore explicit content. _______________________ [1] Paul J. Wright, Robert S. Tokunaga, and Ashley Kraus, "A Meta-Analysis of P*rnography Consumption and Actual Acts of Sexual Aggression in General Population Studies," Journal of Communication 66, no. 1 (February 2016): 183-205. [2] Simone Kühn and Jürgen Gallinat, "Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated with P*rnography Consumption," JAMA Psychiatry 71, no. 7 (2014): 827-834. Donald L. Hilton, Jr., and Clark Watts, "P*rnography Addiction: A Neuroscience Perspective,"Surgical Neurology International 2, no. 19 (2011). [3] Samuel L. Perry, "Does Viewing P*rnography Reduce Marital Quality Over Time? Evidence from Longitudinal Data," Archives of Sexual Behavior, (2016). Alfredo Nicolosi, Edward O. Laumann, Dale B. Glasser, Edson D. Moreira, Jr., Anthony Paik, and Clive Gingell, "Sexual Behavior and Sexual Dysfunctions after Age 40: The Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors," Urology 64 (2004): 991-997.

Why is Roku streaming graphic sexual material through hundreds of private and hidden streaming channels? In the age of #MeToo, Roku should not be facilitating this content which often depicts themes of racism, sexual violence, and incest. Is Roku willingly complicit in the normalization of sexual exploitation in our culture? This is terrible for your brand! This stands in direct opposition to the policies of other streaming device industry leaders such as Apple TV or Amazon's Fire TV, who have rightly kept explicit content off of their systems. Please follow the industry standards set forth by other industry leaders and to get out of the business of facilitating hardcore explicit content.

Roku is allowing private or hidden streaming channels to be used by the pornography industry - please close this loophole! The Roku logo is prominently displayed on many pornographic channels - is this really what you want for your company? You are being associated with material that degrades women, and in our #MeToo culture it's time to stop accepting what amounts to free advertising from sexually exploitive companies!