Is Tubi safe? It can be, with these tips

Tubi and other free streaming sites can seem a little too good to be true. How do they make money? Are you unknowingly watching pirated content? Is Tubi safe regarding its data collection practices?

While the jury’s still out on the piracy question, Tubi has been hit with a class-action lawsuit for collecting too much user data without consent. After a $20 million settlement, Tubi has made its policies more transparent, naturally, without reducing data collection.

Fortunately, you can do so yourself by using a Tubi VPN, going through the various opt-out forms in the privacy policy, and following several other tips. We’ll cover everything you need to know on the topic in the guide below.

How to watch Tubi safely with a VPN

Follow these steps to watch Tubi safely in just a few minutes:

1. Choose a VPN that works well on Tubi (we recommend NordVPN).
2. Download and install the VPN on your preferred device(s).
3. Open the app and connect to a US server or another supported Tubi region.
4. Access Tubi TV and start watching. You may need to clear your cookies for the changes to take effect.

Related: How to watch Tubi TV on Kodi

Why should I use a VPN to watch Tubi?

The main reason to use a VPN to watch Tubi is to access the platform from outside the US and other supported countries. VPNs let you change your IP address, which not only stops Tubi from tracking your location but also lets you watch its content from anywhere.

Otherwise, you may run into geo-block errors like the one below:

“We’re sorry. Tubi is the largest free movie and TV streaming service in the US. Unfortunately, we’re not currently available in your area. Watch this webpage to see when Tubi is available in your area.”

Moreover, VPNs encrypt your internet traffic, making it unreadable to your ISP or potential cyber attackers on unsafe networks. Best of all, many VPNs (including those we listed above) have tracker-blocking features so Tubi’s partners can’t profile you for targeted ads.

If you weren’t aware, Tubi has been involved in a $20 million class-action lawsuit (Gregory v. Tubi, Inc.) over its alleged data-sharing practices that allegedly violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). As of April 2025, reports from Reddit show that people are still waiting on their Tubi settlement payments.

Does Tubi track you? Data collection and usage examined

We’ve analyzed Tubi’s privacy policy to see what data they collect about you and how they use it. Here are the details.

What data does Tubi collect?

Here’s an overview of the key information Tubi collects:

• Registration info: Includes name, email, gender, birthday, and more when you sign up or enter promotions. Some of this may be visible on your profile.
• Customer service and feedback: Covers info you share when contacting support, filling surveys, or giving feedback—name, email, state, device info, etc.
• User content: Anything you upload or post, like videos, audio, photos, and text.
• Social media data: Information from linked social accounts, such as username, user ID, email, profile picture, friends list, and anything made public.
• Activity data: Info about how you use the service, including IP, browser, device info, geolocation, and how you interact with others (like following or reacting).
• Cookies and tracking: Uses cookies, tracking pixels, and similar tools to log pages visited, searches, content watched, and more. Can link your site usage across devices.
• Nielsen tracking and other sources: Tubi may use Nielsen software to gather viewing habits for research, such as TV ratings. In addition, they may add data from business partners, public records, social media, advertisers, or affiliate companies to your profile.
• Do Not Track: Tubi doesn’t respond to Do Not Track requests. The browser feature asks sites to stop tracking, but Tubi continues to collect data even when it’s enabled.

How does Tubi use your data?

Here’s how Tubi uses that data:

• To run the service: Tubi uses your info to provide core features, keep things running smoothly, fix bugs, and make improvements. This also covers safety checks and internal audits.
• For personalization: The service customizes what you see based on your activity, like showing more relevant content, ads, and recommendations. This includes using cross-device tracking.
• User interaction: Tubi sends service updates, responds to messages, and handles customer support, including chatbots. You might also get promotional emails or push notifications.
• For social features: Things like comments, posts, reactions, and user profiles. Your display name, image, and posts can be seen by others using these features.
• To share user content: Anything you post may be reused publicly on Tubi, shared on their social media, or shared by others. That includes stuff like photos, videos, and comments.
• For marketing and ads: Tubi shares some data with ad partners to serve personalized ads across platforms. Also tracks devices and uses cookies for targeting and analytics.
• To run promotions and co-branded features: If you join contests or promotions, Tubi may share your information with other companies involved.
• Sharing with affiliates and partners: Sends data to Fox and its partners for purposes such as marketing and improving services. Their privacy rules might differ.
• To protect the company and others: Tubi may use or share your info if needed to enforce policies, prevent fraud, or handle legal issues.
• Mergers and buyouts: Your data may be transferred or shared as part of a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or other business transition involving Tubi.

How do I opt out of Tubi data collection?

The privacy policy contains opt-out links to Tubi’s partners, including Google, Nielsen, and others. California and Virginia residents may opt out of data selling, sharing, or targeted advertising by accessing Your Privacy Choices.

As mentioned, you’ll have to follow specific steps to opt out, and do so for each of your devices. Note that you won’t stop getting ads; they simply won’t be tailored to your interests.

A less cumbersome solution is to use a VPN with adblock (as they also block trackers). Alternatively, you can install an anti-tracking browser extension if you don’t plan on watching through the Tubi app.

Is Tubi safe for kids?

Tubi is pretty safe for kids, especially if you sign up and gain access to Tubi’s Parental Controls feature. Here you can adjust the kind of content your child can access.

Alternatively, you can set your age under 13 during sign-up, and Tubi will limit the content to what’s available on Tubi Kids. There’s no age verification, though, so nothing’s stopping them from sneaking in R-rated movies after bedtime if they make another account.

Related: Best parental control software

Is Tubi legal?

Yes, Tubi is entirely legal. Fox Corporation owns Tubi and has licensing deals for all the content it streams. While some content has dubious video quality, you’re not pirating or watching bootleg uploads.

That said, Tubi has been accused by filmmakers of illegally distributing their works. See the Sam Sherman vs Tubi legal dispute for more details. Despite these accusations, viewers shouldn’t face any legal issues for watching shows or movies on Tubi.

How to stay safe on Tubi: 5 extra tips

Aside from securing your data with a VPN, here are a few other methods to stay private on Tubi:

• Sign up with a throwaway email: Tubi doesn’t require an account to start watching. But if you want parental controls or other features, you should sign up with a free service like ProtonMail or Tuta to avoid exposing your main email in a potential data breach.
• Install the latest updates: Whether it’s your OS, smart TV firmware, or Tubi’s apps, keeping everything up to date ensures you have the latest security fixes.
• Get a trusted password manager: This can help you keep track of your logins, generate unique and uncrackable passwords, and avoid common phishing scams that direct you to fake pages designed to steal your data.
• Avoid public wi-fi: Tubi is safer for public use than most services, as it doesn’t need an account or payment. Regardless, you should follow some basic security practices to stay safe on public wi-fi hotspots, as these are frequent targets for hackers.
• Use a reliable antivirus: Cyber attackers have previously used malvertising campaigns to spread ransomware through websites like the BBC and The New York Times. As an ad-only service, Tubi may be at a higher risk of attack than others.

How we checked if Tubi is safe

Wondering about our process for checking if Tubi is safe? You can go through the same steps we did and double-check everything:

• Website uses HTTPS: Clicking the padlock icon or ensuring the site URL starts with “https://” confirms Tubi TV encrypts your passwords and searches.
• Data collection practices: Going over Tubi’s privacy policy reveals the typical tracking you’d expect from an ad-based platform. Using an extension like uBlock Origin or a VPN that blocks tracking, such as NordVPN, should keep you protected.
• Online scam checkers: Whether you use Google Safe Browsing, NordVPN’s link checker, or another service, Tubi is free from shady activity.
• Anti-malware scans: Running the files through VirusTotal showed no anti-malware vendors marked Tubi TV apps as unsafe.
• Data breach and legal history: Tubi has had no known data breaches. However, it’s currently caught up in a class action settlement regarding intrusive data collection and a legal dispute over allegedly pirated movies.
• Intrusive app permissions: Tubi requests the standard permissions when you use their app, and you can adjust your app settings as needed.

Is Tubi safe? FAQs