We assessed every Roku streaming device from least to most favorable, but regardless of how much you invest in one of these streaming devices — or Roku-integrated smart TVs — advertisements will be an inescapable element of your experience. Roku is also able to track your search activities and share this information with third parties.
Thankfully, Roku users maintain some power over the variety of ads they encounter. They can also influence who gets access to their personal details. To manage this, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Privacy Choices, and activate the option that says, “Do not share/sell my information.” You may additionally want to enable the option for “Limit use of sensitive information.” To prevent seeing specific types of ad content (e.g., alcohol, politics, violence), go to Settings > Privacy > Advertising > Sensitive ad content, then select the categories you wish to exclude. Once you click OK, these choices will be recorded and applied across all devices associated with your Roku account.
Roku also permits you to dismiss specific ads you might encounter, substituting it with a different promotion. To accomplish this, simply highlight the advertisement and press the Star button on your Roku remote. Choose Hide this ad and confirm by clicking OK. However, you can only perform this action a limited number of times within a day, after which you will not be able to hide ads until your 24-hour period is renewed. Additionally, keep in mind: Ad preferences are presently restricted to those that are visible. Video ads, ads in partner applications, and certain apps shown universally, like themed backgrounds, cannot be modified at this moment.
Exercising control over the Roku advertising you encounter and how the company handles your personal data is crucial — particularly if you fall into the category of streamer who
