Bureaucrat governing specialists class seems to not be exactly the idea pf workers democracy. Socialism needs direct democracy in some form and not “representatives” that already live in a different reality.
Why wouldn't you want specialists in charge? You have a view of the world where a gardener and a clothing factory manager should have direct input on state medical policy? On foreign policy? On the details of implementation of an ecological plan to protect a distant region they've never visited? I hope you can understand that's absurd.
If I have medical problems I don't act like a crank and ask random cranks on the internet what I should do then listen to their nonsense advice to treat it with essential oils and eating nothing but meat for a month. I go to a medical doctor who has a degree and is certified. The doctor consults with me hopefully and explains what is going on, what they're going to do. what I need to do and gives me the chance to ask some questions to be informed.
People do not have time or energy to inform themselves about all the details of things in order to make rational, scientific choices on all policy while trying to do their actual day-jobs and enjoy recreation. That's why there exists the party and bureaucrats who help draft, debate, etc such things to achieve OBJECTIVES that meet the wants and needs of the people and who are answerable to them for the results.
Here is what Xi Jinping has to say on China's democracy: https://redsails.org/xi-on-democracy/
Here are some other pointers: https://dessalines.github.io/essays/socialism_faq.html#is-china-a-democracy
You likely have a chauvinism, a prejudice, a capitalist defined idea of this precious pure form of socialism that can never exist anywhere and never will. More specifically a kind of fetish for this ideal that you're convinced is the only acceptable goal (why? propaganda. Whose? western capitalists who claim their liberal system is closest to this ideal and therefore you should side with them until this perfect socialism they've depicted arrives (it never will), how convenient!).
A system is what it does. If the rulers of a place so fear the people they have to pretend to be communists and do everything communists would do to serve the people (a ridiculous notion I think) I fail to see a difference in outcome. It is outcomes we concern ourselves with. Marxism is not a religion. It is about results. Purity fetishism gets you nowhere, it makes you feel self-righteous and good but it doesn't feed kids, it doesn't lessen exploitation, it doesn't build a better world, it doesn't improve the lives of others. Communism is not a switch, it is a historical process that resolves contradictions over time but not immediately, it shall exist with contradictions just as capitalism has contradictions.
Yes. An Apple TV will be about as private as you can get for something that supports mainstream streaming apps (running a mini-pc won't allow better than 720p quality and you'll struggle to get remotes to work, it'll be a clunky experience via web browsers often). It will be a lot better than a smart TV, especially a Roku who are among the worst.
If you want a bit more privacy consider running a pihole and redirecting DNS traffic at your firewall to your pihole or blocking all DNS traffic not from your pihole. I run a firewall solution that includes DNS redirection and blocking and there are a lot of measurement endpoints for streaming apps that you can block without the app breaking so that's another little ounce. This doesn't require a ton more effort though it is more effort it can be a set and forget type of thing. Importantly this does not block in-app ads.
For me the fact they don't have any ads is what sells me on it. I don't want ads on my homescreen. I don't even want them in the apps but getting that peace and lack of clutter on the homescreen is so nice.
Apple TVs are also just so smooth. Smart TV's feel sluggish and pathetic compared to how well everything just works on a device that's properly powered for the task and not constantly sucking up all your data.
Apple TVs also have a lot of Apple privacy settings though obviously some of them apps may not allow like many streaming apps require a location check at least intermittently for licensing reasons to prove you're still in the country but you can limit it as much as possible.
If you have a decent wifi network and you know you're not going to be streaming say homemade BluRay rips the wifi entry model is excellent (currently it supports wifi 6 and has a really good wifi chip). I personally run Plex and a media server so I choose the wifi+ethernet model to have the reliability of ethernet and don't regret it but it's understandable if your situation precludes being able to use a wired connection or you want to save the $20 extra they charge.