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Sonos' Privacy Policy Change Suggests It Might Sell Your Data
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First the crummy crummy all update (downgrade) and now this?!?
Screw then I'm done
Screw then I'm done
There is no lawsuit.
Unless they lied about selling data, the customer has not been damaged.
Companies are allowed to change their TOS (for better or for worse) even after purchase.
It’s sh*tty, but it’s a byproduct of modern technology with EULAs.
Your only options are to continue using the product under the new data polices or switch to a new product.
With apple, you are the product.
Fool you once, shame on apple. Remember the time apple contaminated your music library with a u2 album? Now, If google or openAI has your data, that's on you.
I don't understand the appeal of "smart" audio products. I have an amplifier and speakers I purchased in 1984. They are still working 40 years later, sound way better than today's product offerings, have never required me to fuss with software updates, and will probably work for a few decades more.
Depends where you define smart audio products. Many are a much better user experience in distributed audio systems across larger homes with the likes of AirPlay, which can also be added to older equipment. Apps are frequently far superior to IR remotes in said situations too.
It would be nice if the Remote app actually worked with watchOS…
Beyond the AirPlay experience.., I agree with you that Alexa etc is welcome left out of my music scene.
But in the previous version of TOS they claimed that they would never sell customers data in the future. So can they really do that after they change the TOS? Ok, if I buy their stuff after the change then probably yes, but otherwise?
If Apple downloads an album on my phone, how does that make me the product? And how does that relate to Google or OpenAI? Struggling to understand the connection you’re making here.
Well, Apple is probably better at privacy, but it's no angel either.
Remember CSAM icloud photos or that Apple was/is part of the PRISM programme.
Ask the search engine of your choice for Snowden and Apple.
U2 paid apple to push their album on people's iPhones. Google paid apple to be the default search on iPhones, sending all your search queries to Google. And now same with openAI. Apple didn't offer a free music album and let users decide if they wanted to download it.
Electronical audio is something we figured in the early 1900s. And honestly that should be your solution as well. Use a "dumb" AV receiver / amp / dac (etc) connected to wired speakers. Just a simple wired connection, and nobody is spying on you.
And the sound quality will be 1000x better as well.
And the sound quality will be 1000x better as well.
Essentially all business use your data one way or another. Whether they well it, or use it themselves to understand you more. It’s pretty much impossible to not have your data used one way or another. Whether it’s data mined or sold. The only way not to have your data used, is not to use their services.
Which leaves you in a very limited position :/
Which leaves you in a very limited position :/
The U2 thing was annoying but I don’t see the relevance to privacy.
Sonos, a thoroughly unpleasant company.
I disassembled my Sonos setup last night, while watching CFL. Removed any and/or all references to it on MBA, iMac, Pads, phones, pods….anything. Didn’t even bother to put it back in boxes. Will offer to give it to a dialysis patient if they want it (probably yes). Will ‘put up with’ some JBL Partybox 300‘s until Apple comes out with their new HomePod, and if not new HomePod mini’s, 5 of the old ones.
So, eff Sonos going forward.
Tom
(On Thursday I gave away two JBL Partybox 300’s to my medical transport driver, so I’m stupid enough to ditch the Sonos. It won’t hurt financially b/c I paid for them a while ago).
Last time I did something like this was to ditch Notability to move to Goodnotes so that there was no risk of losing access to 5.5 years of dialysis data (this was before they reversed their initial decision and grandfathered early purchasers). Remember when they switched to a subscription model (which I hate….just charge me more money upfront already - and yeah I went all in on ProCamera, Goodnotes and Civ VI (ouch!!!, over $300 Cdn, but hey and addiction is an addiction) and they were going to allow only a limited number of edits?
When someone engages in a conversation financial relationship with me and then subsequently changes the natire of the relationship (or attempts to), I become unreasonable 😇 Today is unreasonable and grumpy.
Tom
So, eff Sonos going forward.
Tom
(On Thursday I gave away two JBL Partybox 300’s to my medical transport driver, so I’m stupid enough to ditch the Sonos. It won’t hurt financially b/c I paid for them a while ago).
Last time I did something like this was to ditch Notability to move to Goodnotes so that there was no risk of losing access to 5.5 years of dialysis data (this was before they reversed their initial decision and grandfathered early purchasers). Remember when they switched to a subscription model (which I hate….just charge me more money upfront already - and yeah I went all in on ProCamera, Goodnotes and Civ VI (ouch!!!, over $300 Cdn, but hey and addiction is an addiction) and they were going to allow only a limited number of edits?
When someone engages in a conversation financial relationship with me and then subsequently changes the natire of the relationship (or attempts to), I become unreasonable 😇 Today is unreasonable and grumpy.
Tom
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The US Government needs to take a leaf out of the EU's book and start protecting the interests of its citizens. It's ludicrous to expect companies to do the right thing without proper regulation.
Blacklisted. So glad that I never bought any of their products in the past.
I love Sonos products and have enjoyed a fault-free experience for years. They’ve been great, but I’m not going to be sentimental if this news is true. I will just ditch them and not look back. There are alternatives.
I’ve just written their CEO to let him know too - not that I matter in the bigger picture, but perhaps it would matter if there was a huge backlash. His email is ceo@sonos.com. Patrick Spence.
I’ve just written their CEO to let him know too - not that I matter in the bigger picture, but perhaps it would matter if there was a huge backlash. His email is ceo@sonos.com. Patrick Spence.
That assumes a large number of users actually made a purchase decision on the basis of the privacy policy. I would bet very few users even knew that sentence existed.
It is not unavoidable, if people stand up, and are strong in the opposition. Of course, you are right that it is unavoidable for the weak.
Companies certainly need to try harder. Sonos likely wants to integrate some AI solution which requires access to customer data. Instead of negotiating a better contract which doesn't require this data....they likely just caved and agreed to it.
In related news - I'm in the process of implementing a Shopify site. It is shocking to me how normal it is for apps on that platform to require access to FULL customer data. It's hard to implement a site on Shopify without adding at least a few apps. I wanted a welcome pop-up and of course there are several 'free' apps for this. Every single one of them REQUIRES full access to customer data - name, address, phone number, geolocation.....all of it. I would imagine that many just click through and agree to everything. Customer data is likely being shared with 20 different 3rd parties with every Shopify site. This was just an app to display an image with some text. I found another solution...
I have been using Sonos for 15 years. The new app is absolutely horrible. Not only is the design bad, but the speakers drop off from the system all throughout the day. I have so much money invested, it's more than just saying 'I'm done with Sonos'. They need to fix this.
In related news - I'm in the process of implementing a Shopify site. It is shocking to me how normal it is for apps on that platform to require access to FULL customer data. It's hard to implement a site on Shopify without adding at least a few apps. I wanted a welcome pop-up and of course there are several 'free' apps for this. Every single one of them REQUIRES full access to customer data - name, address, phone number, geolocation.....all of it. I would imagine that many just click through and agree to everything. Customer data is likely being shared with 20 different 3rd parties with every Shopify site. This was just an app to display an image with some text. I found another solution...
I have been using Sonos for 15 years. The new app is absolutely horrible. Not only is the design bad, but the speakers drop off from the system all throughout the day. I have so much money invested, it's more than just saying 'I'm done with Sonos'. They need to fix this.