Is your Roku TV spying on you? Probably, but here's how to put an end to it

Your Amazon Fire Stick, Chromecast, and other streaming devices collect your personal data for various reasons. If you're uncomfortable with that, here's how to get peace of mind.

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 Roku TV is getting several updates for free - including a big one for Roku City

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 ...