Here's what we found and what you can do about it on your respective new streaming players.Īmazon told CNET that it collects limited information about customers' use of third-party apps on Fire TV. While we've previously covered privacy settings for the TVs themselves, for this story we checked out all of the latest software on streaming devices from Amazon, Roku, Google and Apple. While that's potentially frustrating, ads do help keep the price down when you're buying a new streaming stick.

Makers of software and hardware - from your new streaming stick to your TV itself - use that data to 'improve' the products and services they offer, by tailoring recommendations and the ads they show you, for example.

That said, it's important to know that as amazing as these devices are, they do come with a downside: Their software platforms are often tracking what you watch behind the scenes.Įvery major smart TV streaming platform captures your viewing data. All of the major manufacturers - including Apple, Roku, Google Chromecast and Amazon - have recently released new or updated models, so there are plenty of good options for you to choose from. Tons of people use streaming device because they're a genuinely great way to turn your TV into a streaming hub.

Google home chromecast setup