A new class action lawsuit accuses Amazon of spying on Fire TV users, including every app you open, how long you spend in each app, and what you watch. The suit further alleges that Amazon tracks every audio and video detail on your screen, including where you pause, rewind, and resume, and then sells that data to advertisers without consent.
On May 6 2026, two FireStick users filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon in federal court in Washington. The plaintiffs, Nancy Manypenny and Kenneth Enser, are accusing Amazon of using built-in software on Fire TV devices to secretly track what users watch and selling that data to advertisers.
ManyPenny owns an Amazon Fire TV while Enser owns a Toshiba TV running the Fire OS operating system. The two are suing various Amazon subsidiaries, including Amazon.com Inc., Amazon.com Services LLC, Amazon Digital Services LLC, and Amazon Technologies Inc.
Streaming devices have become popular over the years for their budget-friendly price and simple setup. However, according to this lawsuit, the low price tag may come at the expense of your privacy.
Amazon is Allegedly Tracking User Data and Selling It to Advertising Clients
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The lawsuit alleges that Amazon is installing tracking software on Fire TV streaming devices and Fire TV-branded third-party TVs like Insignia, TCL, Toshiba, and Hisense. The spying is not limited to Amazon’s hardware. As such, millions of households using low-budget TVs running the Fire TV OS are potentially affected.
Media companies like Google and Amazon claim they track user data to customize recommendations and improve user experience.
But how deep do they go? What data do they track?
According to the new lawsuit, Amazon’s tracking software logs more than your casual browsing habits. It logs every audio and visual element displayed on your screen at every given moment. To simplify it, Amazon tracks:
- The apps you use and how long you use them.
- The titles you watch, including the moment you pause, resume, or rewind the content.
- Content from connected external devices like gaming consoles, DVD players, and other streaming devices.
After collecting this data, Amazon creates detailed viewer profiles. These viewer profiles are gold to corporate companies. They can use targeted ads to advertise products and services to you based on your viewing habits.
Why This Data is Valuable
So what if Amazon saw the movie I watched on Netflix? Or the TV show I watched on Tubi?
Tracking your data is not just about what you watched last night. Your streaming habits reveal a lot of personal information, including interests and hobbies, shopping behavior, political preferences, household demographics, psychological, and emotional states.
Companies combine this data with device identifiers and household-level ad information to create a consumer profile.
Advertisers pay good money to have access to this kind of consumer profiling. The good money in advertising might explain why Amazon sells the streaming devices at low prices. Their focus is not on the profits made from the sale of Fire TV Sticks and budget smart TVs. It is on the advertisement revenue.
The Plaintiffs’ Argument and The Law at the Center of the Lawsuit
Does Amazon have a case to answer? Or are the allegations far-fetched?
The Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) of 1988 prohibits companies from sharing personally identifiable data about a user’s video viewing habits without their consent. While this law was originally enacted to prevent video rental stores from disclosing which videos customers rented, it now applies to modern streaming and digital platforms.
The plaintiffs argue that Amazon has violated this law. They have also claimed that the media company has breached an implied contract and invaded user privacy.
The class action lawsuit covers all US consumers who owned or used an Amazon Fire TV device or a third-party TV running the Fire TV software during the relevant period, and whose personal data was collected.
Sought remedies include financial damages, return of all profits earned from the alleged data, and a court order to bar Amazon from continuing this practice.
The Latest Legal Dispute On a List of Many
Over the years, Amazon has faced various legal complaints. This lawsuit is the latest in a list of others.
In April 2026, a California user sued Amazon, alleging that it deployed software updates that slowed down performance on older Fire TV Stick models. The suit claimed that the media giant deliberately tampered with the software to compel users to upgrade to newer versions.
Amazon has also drawn widespread criticism from global users for blocking third-party apps on the platform. In late 2025, the platform started flagging sideloaded apps and issuing warnings to users to uninstall them. Around the same time, the company revealed that future Fire TV Sticks will run Vega OS, a Linux-based software that blocks installation of apps outside the Amazon App Store.
The invasion-of-privacy complaints aren’t unique to Amazon. Roku and other smart TV platforms have faced similar allegations in the past. These platforms reportedly use a technology called Automated Content Recognition (ACR). ACR identifies on-screen content to deploy targeted advertising.
However, Amazon’s case is more serious. The alleged spying is more detailed, and their monitoring goes beyond what’s being viewed on their hardware. They also track what users watch through external devices like gaming consoles and media players that aren’t part of Amazon’s ecosystem.
What Does This Mean For Fire TV Users?
Amazon has yet to respond to this lawsuit.
The media giant maintains that its privacy policies are meant to help users have an optimum experience through personalized profiles and recommendations. These policies cover their devices and third-party devices using their software.
It’s through these policies that users can access advertising and data sharing settings according to their preferences.
But according to the lawsuit, these device settings and privacy policies don’t disclose how far Amazon goes when collecting data. It also questions whether burying disclosure in lengthy terms of service counts as users having informed consent.
So, what can you do as a Fire TV user to limit data sharing on your device? Check out our guide on the 6 FireStick settings you should know and change to enhance your privacy.
Final Thoughts
While this case is still in its early stages, it serves as a reminder that your Fire TV device may know far more about you than you realize. That low-cost streaming stick or smart TV could come with another hidden price: the loss of privacy.
Have you changed your Fire TV settings to limit data collection? Have you noticed any differences after making those changes?
Let us know in the comments section below.
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