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Neither Amazon Fire TV nor Roku can be shown to collect less data overall on today’s devices. Both provide controls that limit particular uses of device, viewing, app, or advertising data, but those controls do not create a universal “no tracking” mode or remove every advertisement. Fire TV separates device-usage, app-usage, advertising-ID, and (on its smart TVs) antenna-viewing choices. Roku’s controls primarily limit how third-party channels use the device advertising identifier and how certain banner ads are personalized. Streaming apps retain their own data practices on either platform.
What the comparison actually tells you
Privacy settings are easier to understand when you ask what data a switch covers, who receives the resulting signal, and where advertisements can still appear. An operating-system preference is not the same as an app-level opt-out, and an advertising preference is not the same as stopping operational data collection.
| Data or advertising area | Amazon Fire TV | Roku | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Device-level usage | Amazon documents an opt-out from processing device-usage data for marketing and product improvement. Amazon says processing needed for device features, interest-based ads, and Amazon services such as Prime Video can continue. | Roku’s privacy policy describes collection and use of information across Roku devices and services. Its advertising-ID control is specifically framed as a request to third-party channels about personalized advertising. | An ad-personalization preference should not be treated as an opt-out from all operational data collection. |
| Third-party app use | You can opt out of Amazon collecting data about third-party apps being opened, closed, and used for a duration. | Roku says third-party services and their advertising partners may collect device and service-use information when you use those services. | Check each service’s own privacy controls; a platform toggle may not override an app’s collection. |
| Advertising identifier | Apps using the Fire TV advertising ID can be instructed not to use it to build advertising profiles or target interest-based ads on the device. | “Limit third-party ad tracking” tells third-party channel providers that you do not want the advertising identifier used to personalize ads. | This limits one profiling mechanism; it does not erase every identifier or data flow. |
| Antenna or external-input viewing | Fire TV smart TVs have an option to opt out of providing Amazon information about over-the-air content received through a directly connected antenna. | Roku’s Smart TV Experience material describes a “Personalize Ads” choice for streaming-channel viewing data, but exact model-specific menu details vary. | Controls differ between streaming sticks, streaming players, Fire TV televisions, and Roku televisions. |
| Menu and banner ads | The documented Fire TV controls do not establish that ads disappear. Amazon says marketing offers may still appear, potentially with less relevance. | Sensitive-category choices and hiding an ad apply to non-video banner ads in Roku menus and screensavers, not video ads or ads inside partner apps. | Limiting personalization can leave the number of ads unchanged. |
Amazon’s Privacy Settings FAQs for Fire TV Products, Fire Tablets and Kindle E-readers, Roku’s privacy policy (updated July 1, 2026), and Roku Support’s ad-preferences guidance (updated June 18, 2026) describe these controls in narrower terms than “stop tracking.”
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Before changing anything, identify your device
Menu names and available switches depend on whether you have a Fire TV Stick or other Fire TV streaming device, a television with Fire TV built in, a Roku player, or a Roku TV. Software updates can also move a setting or change its wording. Look at the home screen and the television’s model information before following a path:
- Fire TV streaming device: a stick or box connected to an HDMI port. It does not have an over-the-air tuner built into the Fire TV device.
- Fire TV smart TV: the television itself runs Fire TV. This is the case in which Amazon documents an antenna-viewing-data choice.
- Roku player: a separate streaming box or stick attached to a television.
- Roku TV: the television runs Roku OS, so it can expose television-specific viewing and advertising options that a player may not show.
If a control in this article is absent, do not assume it is hidden under a different name. Confirm the device type and software version, install available system updates, and use the privacy documentation for that model.
#1 Best Overall
- HD streaming made simple: With America’s number 1 TV streaming platform,* exploring popular apps—plus tons of free movies, shows, and live TV—is as easy as it is fun. *Based on hours streamed—Hypothesis Group
- Compact without compromises: The sleek design of Roku Streaming Stick won’t block neighboring HDMI ports, and it even powers from your TV alone, plugging into the back and staying out of sight. No wall outlet, no extra cords, no clutter.
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How to limit tracking on Amazon Fire TV
Amazon documents several independent choices. Turning off one does not automatically turn off the others. On Fire TV, the documented route for several of them is Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings. The exact label can vary by device generation and software release.
1. Turn off Device Usage Data
- Open Settings from the Fire TV home screen.
- Choose Preferences, then Privacy Settings.
- Open Device Usage Data and choose the option that stops or disables collection, following the confirmation shown on screen.
Amazon describes this as limiting use of device-usage data for marketing and product improvement. It does not stop processing required for device features, interest-based advertising, or Amazon services such as Prime Video. Expect Amazon marketing offers to remain possible; Amazon says they may simply be less relevant.
2. Turn off Collect App Usage Data
- Stay in Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings.
- Open Collect App Usage Data.
- Disable the setting and accept the confirmation.
This choice addresses Amazon’s collection of third-party app open, close, and duration information. It does not dictate what an individual streaming service collects directly through its own app, nor does it erase data that service already holds.
3. Disable interest-based advertising
- In Settings > Preferences > Privacy Settings, open the Interest-based Ads control.
- Choose the setting that prevents apps using the Fire TV advertising ID from using it to build profiles for advertising or to target interest-based ads on that device.
This is an advertising-ID choice, not a promise that every ad is removed or that all identifiers disappear. Ads can still be shown, and Amazon services can continue processing information for functions covered by their own terms.
Rank #2
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4. Check the antenna-viewing option on a Fire TV smart TV
If the television has a directly connected over-the-air antenna, look in the Fire TV privacy settings for the option concerning information about antenna-received content. Opting out prevents Amazon from receiving that particular viewing information as described in its FAQ. A Fire TV Stick connected to a separate television does not create this built-in tuner scenario.
What these Fire TV switches do not cover
- They do not establish that Prime Video or another Amazon service stops processing information needed to provide that service.
- They do not control every streaming app’s own account, diagnostics, advertising, or analytics settings.
- They do not prove that menu offers or video advertising will stop.
- They do not provide a single switch that covers every category of viewing and device data.
How to limit tracking on Roku
Roku’s controls have two distinct purposes: signaling to third-party channel providers that the device advertising identifier should not be used for personalized ads, and adjusting certain banner-ad experiences in Roku’s own menus. Neither control is a universal app-data opt-out.
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1. Enable “Limit third-party ad tracking”
- From the Roku home screen, open Settings.
- Enter the privacy or advertising section shown for your Roku player or Roku TV.
- Select Limit third-party ad tracking and enable it.
Roku says this setting tells third-party channel providers that you want them to stop using the device advertising identifier to personalize ads. The wording and location can differ by model and software version, so use the label itself as the reliable check.
The setting is a signal to channel providers. Roku’s policy also explains that when you access a third-party service, that provider and its advertising partners may collect device and service-use information. A channel can therefore have data practices that are not eliminated by the advertising-ID preference.
2. Adjust sensitive-category and hidden-banner preferences
Roku Support describes controls for sensitive advertising categories and for hiding an individual ad. These apply to non-video banner ads in Roku menus and screensavers. They do not cover video ads, advertisements inside partner apps, or some ads shown to everyone. If a video advertisement continues after you change a menu preference, that behavior is within the documented scope of the control.
3. Review Smart TV Experience choices on Roku TV
Roku’s Smart TV Experience material describes a Personalize Ads setting related to streaming-channel viewing data. Roku TV models and software builds can expose different menu details, so do not apply a Roku-player path to every television. Open the privacy and advertising pages on the actual Roku TV and read the description attached to each switch before changing it.
Rank #3
- Stunning 4K and Dolby Vision streaming made simple: With America’s number 1 TV streaming platform,* exploring popular apps—plus tons of free movies, shows, and live TV—is as easy as it is fun. *Based on hours streamed—Hypothesis Group
- Breathtaking picture quality: Stunningly sharp 4K picture brings out rich detail in your entertainment with four times the resolution of HD. Watch as colors pop off your screen and enjoy lifelike clarity with Dolby Vision and HDR10+.
- Seamless streaming for any room: With Roku Streaming Stick 4K, watch your favorite entertainment on any TV in the house, even in rooms farther from your router thanks to the long-range Wi-Fi receiver.
- Shows on the go: Take your TV to-go when traveling—without needing to log into someone else’s device.
- Compact without compromises: Our sleek design won’t block neighboring HDMI ports, so you can switch from streaming to gaming with ease. Plus, it’s designed to stay hidden behind your TV, keeping wires neatly out of sight
What Roku’s controls do not promise
- They do not guarantee that every channel stops collecting device or service-use information.
- They do not remove all advertising, especially video ads and partner-app ads.
- They do not demonstrate that Roku collects less total data than Fire TV.
- They do not replace privacy choices inside individual streaming services.
App-by-app privacy still matters
After changing platform settings, open the privacy, advertising, and diagnostics pages inside the services you actually use. Netflix, Prime Video, and other services operate their own accounts, analytics, recommendation systems, and advertising relationships. Roku explicitly says service providers and their advertising partners may collect information when you use those services; Amazon explicitly limits the scope of its device-usage opt-out where Amazon-service processing is concerned.
Use the service’s account page or in-app settings to review advertising personalization, viewing-history use, voice or search history, diagnostics, and data-sharing choices where offered. Sign out of services you no longer use and remove unused channels or apps. These steps reduce the number of services receiving activity, but they do not retroactively delete records held under an account unless the service provides a separate deletion process.
Why ads can remain after you opt out
Advertising systems can use several signals. The Fire TV and Roku controls discussed here focus on particular device-level data or an advertising identifier. They do not necessarily cover contextual ads, ads selected by a service using its own account data, video ads delivered by a partner app, or promotions displayed to all users.
On Fire TV, Amazon says marketing offers may still appear after Device Usage Data is disabled. On Roku, sensitive-category and hide-ad choices concern menu and screensaver banners, while video and partner-app advertising remains outside that control. Therefore, seeing an ad after changing a setting is not by itself evidence that the switch failed.
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On June 16, 2025, Amazon Ads announced an integration with Roku that uses a shared advertising identifier and identity resolution to help advertisers recognize logged-in viewers across Roku OS and devices in the United States. This is an advertiser-facing capability, not proof that every app identifies every viewer or that the partnership changes a user’s privacy settings.
Rank #4
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Amazon Ads said the addressable footprint covered 80 million US connected-TV households, more than 80% of US connected-TV households, citing Comscore data. The same announcement attributed early tests to 40% more unique viewers with the same budget and nearly 30% lower repeat exposure. Those are company-reported advertising results, not an independent measurement of consumer data collection or privacy.
Paul Kotas, Amazon’s senior vice president of Amazon Ads, described the arrangement as “a giant leap for advertisers bringing best-in-class planning, audience precision, and performance to TV advertising.” That promotional statement should not be read as an independent assessment of either platform’s privacy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What independent testing can—and cannot—tell you
A 2019 peer-reviewed study by Janus Varmarken, Hieu Le, Anastasia Shuba, Zubair Shafiq, and Athina Markopoulou measured traffic from 57 smart TVs in 41 homes and systematically tested approximately 1,000 apps on each of Roku and Fire TV. It found platform-specific and third-party advertising and tracking endpoints, differences between the ecosystems, and important limitations in DNS-based blocking.
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- Essential 4K streaming – Get everything you need to stream in brilliant 4K Ultra HD with High Dynamic Range 10+ (HDR10+).
- The newest Fire TV experience (2026) – Our biggest update to Fire TV has a new, modern design that gets you to your entertainment fast. Browse dedicated content categories, pin more of your favorite apps, and get personalized recommendations from Alexa+. Spend less time scrolling, and more time watching.
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- Getting set up is easy – Plug in and connect to Wi-Fi for smooth streaming.
A practical setup sequence for either platform
- Identify the hardware. Distinguish a streaming stick or player from a smart TV with a built-in tuner.
- Install system updates. Updated software may change labels or add controls; record the version if you need to troubleshoot later.
- Apply the platform controls. On Fire TV, review Device Usage Data, Collect App Usage Data, Interest-based Ads, and the antenna option when relevant. On Roku, enable Limit third-party ad tracking and review banner-ad preferences.
- Audit installed services. Open the privacy and advertising controls for each streaming app, remove unused channels, and sign out of accounts you no longer need.
- Test expectations, not just switches. Confirm that the setting remains enabled after a restart, then remember that video ads, service-level recommendations, and essential device processing can continue.
Troubleshooting common privacy-setting problems
The setting is missing
Check whether you are looking at a Fire TV device versus a Fire TV smart TV, or a Roku player versus a Roku TV. Update the software and search the settings for the exact terms used by the platform. Model-specific controls may not be available on every device.
The switch turns back on
Record the device model and software version, restart the device, and check the same menu again. If the setting is controlled by a household or managed account, verify that another user or administrator has not changed it.
An app still shows personalized recommendations or ads
Review that service’s own account and privacy settings. The Roku advertising-ID signal and Fire TV’s interest-based-ad setting do not automatically govern data collected directly by a partner app.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsYou want to block traffic at the network level
The 2019 smart-TV study found DNS blocklists imperfect: some tracking traffic escaped, and aggressive lists could break app functionality. Treat network blocking as a separate, technically involved experiment rather than a guaranteed substitute for platform and app controls.
How to choose between Fire TV and Roku when privacy is a priority
- Choose based on the controls you will actually use. Fire TV exposes separate settings for device usage, third-party app usage, interest-based advertising, and antenna viewing on applicable televisions.
- Prefer Roku if its narrower ad controls match your concern. Roku’s documented “Limit third-party ad tracking” setting is specifically aimed at third-party use of the advertising identifier, while its menu-ad choices target non-video banners.
- Do not treat hardware purchase as a privacy feature. Buying either platform does not itself reduce tracking. The meaningful work happens after setup, in platform settings and each service’s policy and controls.
- Keep the evidence in proportion. Available material describes specific data categories and advertising uses, not a current aggregate privacy score for either ecosystem.
For a household making the choice today, the defensible approach is to select the interface and services you want, then configure every available platform and app control rather than relying on a brand-wide privacy ranking.
Quick Recap
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