[smallmancontrov]

My Roku-enabled TV used to bootloop whenever I blocked it from fetching screensaver ads. Support was happy to help. First step: (re)connect to the internet. Second step: disable any network ad blocking. Hmmmmm.

People rolled their eyes when I suggested that this was intentional, but these recent revelations strongly suggest that Roku is very comfortable exploiting the hell out of dark patterns.

If we don't enact stronger consumer protections, everything will work this way.

[queuebert]

For years, it has been the case that, when booting up the Roku, the highlighted item would often be a link that would install an app. My kids have accidentally installed so many things. When I tried to remove YouTube, it suggested it below the installed apps, and the kids re-installed it, without having a clue what they were doing and were confused as to why it now showed ads (logged out), when before it didn't (logged in with Premium).

[mdaniel]

In the "old days," the junkbuster proxy used to return a 128x32(?) blank gif in lieu of an actual block because the page layout would :fu: if the ad wasn't in place and correctly sized. I could easily imagine that might help your situation, too

Don't misunderstand me: it's 100% atrocious that any device bootloops if some ad network 403s, but on the spectrum of "spit into one hand..." and nginx in the other ...

[smallmancontrov]

Haha, yes, that would be something to try, but in the meantime I upgraded monitors and the new one does not have Roku or any of Roku's problems. Yet. If Roku gets away with it this will be everywhere.