I actually tried using an external device but the external streamer was so much worse, it actually started sharing my internet as an end point. Definitely not something you'd want to go in blind.
Yeah, kind of obvious but good that they make the masses aware and public shame them.
Personally I never connected mine, I use an Android tv box that is segregated on a "garbage iot" vlan that can't see my other devices, behind adguard that blocks some of what it tries to phone home. Not perfect but lesser evil.