Twitter Is Shutting Down Apps for Roku, Xbox and Android TV Devices
Twitter’s connected-TV footprint is about to get smaller — as the company works to get certain apps into compliance with Europe’s new data-privacy law.
Effective Thursday, May 24, Twitter will no longer support video-based apps for Roku, Android TV devices or Microsoft’s Xbox, the company announced in a tweet. Twitter is shutting down apps for those platforms because it would need to make changes to them in order to comply the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which takes effect on May 25.
Twitter apps will still be available for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. The company has continued to push into live video — and the connected-TV apps have been designed to support broader access to its partners’ content.
Last month, Twitter touted around 30 new or renewed video-content deals at its 2018 Digital Content NewFronts presentation for advertisers. Those include pacts with NBCUniversal, Disney/ESPN — with ESPN launching five new programming — Viacom, Vice Media and Will Packer Media. The partnerships span entertainment, news, lifestyle, music, gaming and sports, including expansions of existing deals with Live Nation Entertainment, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.
Twitter announced the move to shut down the connected-TV apps for Roku, Xbox and Android TV on Tuesday:
On Thursday, May 24, Twitter for Roku, Twitter for Android TV and Twitter for Xbox will no longer be available. To get the full Twitter experience, visit https://t.co/fuPJa3nVky on your device or desktop.
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 22, 2018
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