Short answer
Two big streaming stories landed this week. Google has banned Videostrong — the company that built the XCPe backdoor into Android TV boxes at the factory — from making Google-certified Android devices or supplying software to certified makers. And Fox has completed its $22 billion purchase of Roku, the biggest streaming platform in North America. Neither changes what you watch tonight, but both matter if you own an Android box or a Roku.
Google bans the company behind the XCPe backdoor
Earlier this week we wrote about Google shutting down the XCPe botnet — about 1.3 million Android TV boxes that shipped with a hidden backdoor — and about testing the HK1 X50 we sell, which came back clean. We’ve since tested the HK1 X4 (S905X4) too, set up exactly as we deliver it to customers, and it came back clean as well.
The follow-up is just as important: Google has cut Videostrong off entirely. The Chinese manufacturer — which makes MECOOL boxes and builds boxes for other brands — can no longer produce Google-certified Android devices or provide software to companies that do.
What this means for you:
- If you own a MECOOL or no-name box: the backdoor itself is still in the firmware, and a factory reset still won’t remove it. Google killing the control network and banning the maker stops the operation — it doesn’t clean a box that’s already infected. Our checking guide from that post still applies: Settings → Apps → Show system apps, and look for x.cpe, com.abc.nexus or com.oemservice.
- If you own an HK1 from us: our tests found the X50 and the X4 are not Videostrong or MECOOL builds, so this ban doesn’t change anything about your box — it’s simply confirmation that where a box comes from matters.
- Buying any Android box: this is exactly why we test what we sell before it reaches a customer. See how we tested the boxes we recommend.
Fox now owns Roku
Fox has closed its $22 billion deal to buy Roku. Roku joins Fox’s digital group alongside Tubi (Fox’s free streaming service), the Fox One streaming service, and Red Seat Ventures. Together, Fox says the combined company is now the third-largest TV company in the US by viewing time. Roku founder Anthony Wood is joining the Fox board.
What this means for Roku owners in Canada:
- Nothing changes today. Your Roku works the same, your apps stay, and no accounts move.
- Expect more Fox content pushed your way over time. Owning the platform plus Tubi and Fox One gives Fox every reason to feature its own shows, sports and news more prominently on the Roku home screen.
- The open question is advertising. Roku already makes most of its money from ads and content deals rather than hardware. Under Fox, watch for more sponsored placements — we’ll report it if the home screen starts feeling more like a billboard.
Roku isn’t the gear we set up most often, but plenty of our customers have one on a second TV, and we’ll keep an eye on how this plays out.
VPN note
Whichever box you use, protect the connection too. We recommend IPVanish on every setup we do. Get the IPVanish Black Friday deal here.
Let’s talk
Worried about an Android box you already own, or thinking about a Roku or a new setup? Book a free consultation and we’ll take a look.
Sources:
- Google Threat Intelligence Group, November 2026
- gHacks, November 4, 2026
- AdWeek, November 6, 2026
- Our earlier report: We Tested Our HK1 Box for the XCPe Backdoor — Here’s What We Found (November 6, 2026; updated November 7 with the HK1 X4 test results)
Black Friday Deal: IPVanish’s biggest discount of the year is live on every plan.
Protect your privacy while streaming. Lock in your savings today.
