Is your Roku TV spying on you? It's possible, but here's how to put a stop to it

Streaming devices like Fire Stick and Chromecast gather personal data for a variety of purposes. If that makes you uneasy, here's how to regain some control.

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.

Also: Your Apple TV is getting 5 useful features for free - including a big one for karaoke fans

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 ...