Is your Roku TV spying on you? It's possible, but here's how you can easily stop it

"Whenever I hear about consumer data tracking, my half-century-old brain dredges up that Hall and Oates hit called "Private Eyes" with the refrain "they're watching you." I don't mean to incite Big Brother paranoia; I know I'm not being spied on everywhere I go, especially not in the seclusion of my home. But while using streaming devices, you can almost guarantee that your entertainment and advertisement preferences are being tracked."

"The culprit is better known as Big Data -- arguably less invasive and sinister, but still annoying to some people -- and there are ways to mitigate that on your streaming devices if you're one of them. While some data collection is necessary for basic functionality, many streaming devices collect more than required; so much so that you essentially lose control of your privacy, fall into filter bubbles (viewing algorithms that are narrower), and receive more targeted ads than expected."

Roku, Amazon Fire, and Chromecast TVs frequently collect viewing, usage, and Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) screen-content data to support features, recommendations, and advertising. Some data collection is necessary for basic functionality, but many devices gather additional information that enables targeted ads, narrows recommendation algorithms, and reduces user privacy. Most streaming devices include privacy settings to disable or limit tracking and to opt out of personalized ads. Using a VPN can encrypt traffic and mask IP addresses to reduce profiling. Full privacy requires disconnecting the TV from the internet. Users can audit privacy/ACR settings, limit ad tracking, and employ network-level protections to regain control.

Read at ZDNET