If you own a smart TV that runs Roku software, you may notice adverts appearing over live broadcasts. According to Ars Technica, the advertisements do not appear for users of Roku’s own devices, such as the Roku Streaming Stick or Roku Streambar. Third-party manufacturers, on the other hand, have chosen to employ Roku’s software for their devices, taking advantage of the ability to insert advertisements while you watch.
An image of a Sharp TV running Roku software is shown in a Reddit thread, with a banner ad for a bed quiz on top of a live broadcast and displays the opportunity to “Press OK to obtain offer.” The advertisements came without warning or explanation, but they are clearly unappealing to the majority of visitors. Some have cited this practice as an invasion of privacy.
A user named reinking on the Reddit thread points out you can stop the ads appearing by navigating to Settings > Privacy > Smart TV Experience and disabling the option “Use info from TV inputs.” However, it’s unclear what other functionality may be lost by disabling that feature.