Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!

I don’t think it’s currently an offence to give a pseudonym, if that helps? Although I think the U.K. law makers are currently looking into this issue and considering making it an offence to provide false identity details online.

GDPR (European Directive 25th May) or DataProtection Act 2018 (U.K. Act of Parliament with Royal Assent 23rd-May), allows an individual to see what data is being held and exactly how it is being used/shared. It’s all now done as an 'opt-in' process with written consent. If you do nothing, or do not provide consent, you are choosing to opt-out. A user can opt-out at anytime.

I assume that the situation under GDPR/DPA, is that if you opt-out and ask a company to delete all your stored personal data... you would then lose access to their services. I’m sure that is the case for companies like Netflix, the BBC, Spotify, Sony PlayStation, Google, Microsoft and Sonos, to mention but a few. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of companies that already operate in this way.

I’m not too concerned at giving some limited details to a company, as long as it is held secure and only shared with 'others' with my written consent, which is what GDPR/DPA is about isn’t it?

At least we can ask to see what information is now being held and see exactly how it is being used... things are perhaps a lot more transparent.

I wish to use the Sonos services that they provide, so I’m opting in. In some other cases, I would use a pseudonym, before ever deciding to opt-out, as long as it was lawful to do so.

Why cut off your nose, just to spite your face?

1: I have purchased a hardware to listen music in my own premises. With the purchase over the counter, I have paid the amount due and the deal was closed (actually few years ago). No matter what some terms and conditions say: I do expect the purchased goods to work without any further and hidden requirements, e.g. to give private information before the goods start to work.

2: I do not want to use Spotify. If I change my mind, I accept to have an account with Spotify. I do not want to use Alexa or all the others which hear everything you say and which support you in shutting down your brain - hence, I don't need an account.

3: Whenever possible, I give my data only when I can see the direct relation with a service (other users might decide in a different way). I cannot see why Sonos should know my position on the globe just for a speaker to work (please do not bore me with local radio which I can find via search as well). Are there some hidden features which might not be in my favour?

4: GDPR takes up this concerns and therefore Sonos should as well take up this concern (better before somebody asks officially to do so - this might be too expensive).

You're perfectly entitled to request Sonos remove some or all of your data

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/legal/privacy#types-information

Depending on what you request they do your system may become unusable s per YOUR agreement with Sonos (despite your assertion that that contract is worthless and you should be free to ignore it!).


Thank you for the link. The privacy statement refers to "necessary for the performance of the contract we have with you". When I purchased the hardware, I cannot remember that I have signed any contract with Sonos. As I said, it was an over-the-counter purchase which, as such, does not imply further interactions. I understand the need of an account if I was up to the usage of further services. However, why exactly do I need an account to set up my PLAY 1?
(I can see a few examples why certain data is gathered - funny enough, the local radio is one of them).

1: I have purchased a hardware to listen music in my own premises. With the purchase over the counter, I have paid the amount due and the deal was closed (actually few years ago). No matter what some terms and conditions say: I do expect the purchased goods to work without any further and hidden requirements, e.g. to give private information before the goods start to work....
Simple. You don't get any software updates without an account. Sonos has to validate the download. Adding a new player almost always requires an update, since the firmware ex-stock is usually stale.

I don’t think it’s currently an offence to give a pseudonym, if that helps? Although I think the U.K. law makers are currently looking into this issue and considering making it an offence to provide false identity details online.

GDPR (European Directive 25th May) or DataProtection Act 2018 (U.K. Act of Parliament with Royal Assent 23rd-May), allows an individual to see what data is being held and exactly how it is being used/shared. It’s all now done as an 'opt-in' process with written consent. If you do nothing, or do not provide consent, you are choosing to opt-out. A user can opt-out at anytime.

I assume that the situation under GDPR/DPA, is that if you opt-out and ask a company to delete all your stored personal data... you would then lose access to their services. I’m sure that is the case for companies like Netflix, the BBC, Spotify, Sony PlayStation, Google, Microsoft and Sonos, to mention but a few. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of companies that already operate in this way.

I’m not too concerned at giving some limited details to a company, as long as it is held secure and only shared with 'others' with my written consent, which is what GDPR/DPA is about isn’t it?

At least we can ask to see what information is now being held and see exactly how it is being used... things are perhaps a lot more transparent.

I wish to use the Sonos services that they provide, so I’m opting in. In some other cases, I would use a pseudonym, before ever deciding to opt-out, as long as it was lawful to do so.

Why cut off your nose, just to spite your face?

I am with you.
For me, it is not a matter of name or pseudonym. I have purchased a good with a certain basic functionality which I want to user further without suddenly (at discretion of the provider) being forced to new committments just to have further what I had before (and have already paid for).
The trick might be the famous "freemium" strategy - people who want to have the minimum (like me) do not provide additional data and shall not be forced to do so. People who want to benefit from additional services, are free to provide whatever it takes.

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.

To answer your earlier post: My three PLAY 1 speakers are several years old and I did not add a newer speaker. The requirement of SONOS to update the software on my PC and on the mobile devices leads to things I did not need before and I did not ask for.
Now I have one of those three speakers which is (for unknown reasons) not recognized in the WLAN anymore (although that worked for years). And simply adding it again leads to the account question (which perfectly fits the title of this thread).

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.

To answer your earlier post: My three PLAY 1 speakers are several years old and I did not add a newer speaker. The requirement of SONOS to update the software on my PC and on the mobile devices leads to things I did not need before and I did not ask for.
Now I have one of those three speakers which is (for unknown reasons) not recognized in the WLAN anymore (although that worked for years). And simply adding it again leads to the account question (which perfectly fits the title of this thread).

You shouldn't have to "add it again". You have other issues you need to resolve

When a player is added to a system it needs to be (re-)registered against a Sonos account. All the app is doing is confirming which account. It's asking for no more information than you already typed in in order to post here.

The thread title is "Sonos account now required just to add a speaker?!". Are you adding a speaker? If so see my earlier post. It's entirely reasonable that Sonos would require you to validate your account before delivering a software update.
I did not ask for software updates on my PC and on the mobile device since my three speakers worked perfectly for so far. It was the PC software to "remind" me for an update and it is obviously at the discretion of the provider to tell me when to update my software (and force me to give information I did not give so far) - otherwise I would not be able to have a working speaker anymore.

I am with you.
For me, it is not a matter of name or pseudonym. I have purchased a good with a certain basic functionality which I want to user further without suddenly (at discretion of the provider) being forced to new committments just to have further what I had before (and have already paid for).
The trick might be the famous "freemium" strategy - people who want to have the minimum (like me) do not provide additional data and shall not be forced to do so. People who want to benefit from additional services, are free to provide whatever it takes.
dbircher,

Slightly off topic but worth mentioning, perhaps ?

I’m sure you paid cash, but if you paid with a bank card, the company you purchased your Sonos products from probably hold your personal details too and if you applied for some kind of guarantee or warranty, then you may have 'surrendered' your details then.

Handing out some of our information is everywhere these days and it’s really just about applying a bit of common-sense to it all.

I’m not over the top about giving out my name, for example. However, I tend to keep most other things under wraps and I will use different email and physical addresses for different things online.

I am happy to agree to opt-in with some companies, but I dislike some (not all) aspects of those companies sharing details with 3rd parties, who I may know nothing about... I particularly dislike those 3rd parties trying to sell me stuff I don’t want/need, or they attempt to bombard me with phone calls, or post.

In that vein, I try to be careful in how I share my information, including using pseudonyms, deleting cookies, using proxy servers, sometimes switching off locations services, removing embedded metadata information from photos and documents etc etc; and shredding some physical documents before binning them.

But I would not lose what I would call a needed service, or product, through my 'cautious' actions. I would just opt-in, but choose to protect my real information in the best way possible, but without breaking the law.

This may prove to be more difficult, if future U.K. legislation tries to force me provide correct details for every type of online situation. That will worry me more than the current GDPR/DPA directive. In fact my thoughts are this latest data protection directive is a step in the right direction for the consumer.

I have read somewhere that the directive also says this...

'...that all personal data must be stored using pseudonymisation or full anonymisation, and use the highest-possible privacy settings by default'.

So that sounds good to me.

Just to finish this off and maybe provide some small reassurance, my own personal experience with my sharing of information with Sonos has been a good one, thus far... I certainly have no complaints.

Ken (@lias Bob ... or is it John?.. (I forget)) ha ha:D