Privacy statement concern

  • 19 August 2017
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87 replies

Everybody should read the article linked by beynym.

But if you are short on time, to paraphrase some of the tweets I've been reading about the article:

Tl;dr Sonos tells users to accept massive private data collection or your expensive speakers will stop working.
I really don't trust news articles that much anymore. Particularly when the source is an unnamed spokesperson. We have a named spokesperson on this thread.

But if you think about it, this shouldn't be too big of a deal. They are going to add new features that are going to require more user data. Eventually, features could be updated so that you don't get much out of the speakers if you aren't ok with the privacy policy. However, Sonos isn't stupid. If customers are not comfortable with the privacy policy, if it's going to effect sales, then they are going to setup options that work for the customer.

Personally, I get why people are concerned, but I just don't see how people could harm me in anyway with the information they are gathering.
I really don't trust news articles that much anymore. Particularly when the source is an unnamed spokesperson. We have a named spokesperson on this thread.

But if you think about it, this shouldn't be too big of a deal. They are going to add new features that are going to require more user data. Eventually, features could be updated so that you don't get much out of the speakers if you aren't ok with the privacy policy. However, Sonos isn't stupid. If customers are not comfortable with the privacy policy, if it's going to effect sales, then they are going to setup options that work for the customer.

Personally, I get why people are concerned, but I just don't see how people could harm me in anyway with the information they are gathering.


So you are really gonna call this fake news? Come on man get real.

They are going against what is considered good policy when it comes to customer privacy.

Just click yes and give them access to your living room, bedroom, bathroom, kids room and continue, I'm sure it will be fine. I'm gonna put my tinfoil hat on and wait this out.

So you are really gonna call this fake news? Come on man get real.


I'm not going to blindly believe the news article when a staff member says otherwise. I'm honestly taking more of a wait and see approach. We will know when it comes out. But as I said, the worse case scenario is probably ok with me anyway.


They are going against what is considered good policy when it comes to customer privacy.


Maybe. If the news article is true, then yes. If the staffer on here is true, then no.


Just click yes and give them access to your living room, bedroom, bathroom, kids room and continue, I'm sure it will be fine. I'm gonna put my tinfoil hat on and wait this out.


'Access'? What does that even mean? I don't really care that much if Sonos knows that I called a zone 'bathroom' and I like to listen to Weird Al Yankovic in there.
You should go update,. You must confirm agreement with the privacy policy as a whole, no option to decline, no option to decline specific data collection you want to opt out of.
I can't update at the moment, but I will when I get home. I will also then check the settings to see what options there are to opt out of data collection. Like I said though, I'm not concerned.
I don't really care that much if Sonos knows that I called a zone 'bathroom' and I like to listen to Weird Al Yankovic in there.

Thank God there's no taste-police. :8

Apart from Weird Al, parts of what you described is already being collected by Sonos. You can review the collected data in the 'My data' section of your Sonos user profile.
Actually it's just missing the track titles and respective zone player room names for played titles, but that's what changes in privacy polices are made for, I guess?!

http://www.zdnet.com/article/sonos-accept-new-privacy-policy-speakers-cease-to-function/

From the article: "Society as a whole continues down a path where devices in your home, traditionally our most private space, are largely controlled by other people who want to know what you're doing."
Short of living on a hill, off every grid, I don't see how to avoid the inevitable.

That said, I haven't heard anything from Sonos. Probably because Amazon hasn't released Echo/Alexa in India as of now.
Oops, I just noticed the 7.4 update which seems to just be the privacy thing!
You should go update,. You must confirm agreement with the privacy policy as a whole, no option to decline, no option to decline specific data collection you want to opt out of.
Opt out of what? Disenroll from data I have been providing since the very beginning? :D


No, Sonos will not disable your products. In short, the new privacy statement is the same as the old statement. What changed is the additional data usage option that is optional. So are the Voice and Trueplay options.
Much ado about nothing.
I can't update at the moment, but I will when I get home. I will also then check the settings to see what options there are to opt out of data collection. Like I said though, I'm not concerned.

Would be great if you could post back if there are opt out options after you agree to the policy.
You should go update,. You must confirm agreement with the privacy policy as a whole, no option to decline, no option to decline specific data collection you want to opt out of.
Opt out of what? Disenroll from data I have been providing since the very beginning? :D


No, Sonos will not disable your products. In short, the new privacy statement is the same as the old statement. What changed is the additional data usage option that is optional. So are the Voice and Trueplay options.
Much ado about nothing.


My data only contains my registered products, I've opted out of the other data collection. And the update only provides an agree to the policy option. Do you see the issue now?
My data only contains my registered products, I've opted out of the other data collection. And the update only provides an agree to the policy option. Do you see the issue now?
No. Have you opted out of Alexa too?


My data only contains my registered products, I've opted out of the other data collection. And the update only provides an agree to the policy option. Do you see the issue now?


The privacy policy on this website says that you can opt out of data collection. So no, I don't see a good reason to believe that agreeing to the new privacy policy means that you are giving up the ability to opt out of data collection.


Would be great if you could post back if there are opt out options after you agree to the policy.


maybe, but I imagine someone else will get to it before me.
My data only contains my registered products, I've opted out of the other data collection. And the update only provides an agree to the policy option. Do you see the issue now?
No. Have you opted out of Alexa too?


Stop being a troll, we are talking about the Sonos policy.

My partner just ran the update on our system fuck me Sonos.
.


Would be great if you could post back if there are opt out options after you agree to the policy.


maybe, but I imagine someone else will get to it before me.



Thanks my system updated via my partner, nothing changed so far other than she agreed to the new policy which we'll see if that is an issue in the future.
Stop being a troll, we are talking about the Sonos policy.
Running out of arguments, do we?
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Tl;dr Sonos tells users to accept massive private data collection or your expensive speakers will stop working.

That's simply not what it says. Here's what I would recommend everyone do before you have a stroke.

Actually read the Privacy Policy. It's not written in complex legalese. Here's a link to the US one here:
http://www.sonos.com/en-us/legal/privacy#functional-data

You don't need some hack at ZDNet to explain it to you, the facts are all there. I'll be honest. It's kind of long, but if you can't make your way through it then it isn't a big deal for you.

The supposed "personal" information that ZDNet lists is hilarious. Email, IP, "room names", etc. Oh god, not the room names!

Stop being a troll, we are talking about the Sonos policy.

Honestly, what specific information are you worried about Sonos getting their hands on with the updated policy? If it's just a nebulous "my data" no one is going to take these posts seriously. Because like most of the posters here I'm just not understanding your concern.
Stop being a troll, we are talking about the Sonos policy.
Running out of arguments, do we?


Didn't even realize we were having an argument
You seem to be trying to bait me, unsuccessfully, troll
[quote=Skelton]
Tl;dr Sonos tells users to y. Because like most of the posters here I'm just not understanding your concern.


The concern is the alleged coming inabillaty to opt out and eventual loss of function.
I'm also not concerned about the policy update. Don't know what's so private about my sonos room names or what I'm hearing on it. Sonos was also a streaming device before so nothing changing. What I like is how Sonos handling this, the policy is clearly written and they not hiding anything.
I'm also not concerned about the policy update. Don't know what's so private about my sonos room names or what I'm hearing on it. Sonos was also a streaming device before so nothing changing. What I like is how Sonos handling this, the policy is clearly written and they not hiding anything.

If it's so clear then why are people arguing about it.
I guarantee Sonos will sell this information.
It's much more than they need to enable voice recognition.
Voice activation will be working with Amazon Alexa. So your existing Sonos Speaker will not listen to you, it will only be controlled by Amazon Alexa. We will see if there is coming a new sonos speaker with integrated far field microphone in it.

From the Blog Post:
...
We will protect your data as though it is sacred. And we will not sell your data. We’ve never sold it before, and we won’t sell it in the future. ...
I guarantee Sonos will sell this information.
No, they won't:

Sonos respects your privacy and your rights to control your personal data. Our guiding principles are simple. We will be transparent about what data we’re collecting and why. We will protect your data as though it is sacred. And we do not and will not sell your data to third parties.
I speculate Voice activation will be working with

I suppose so.

Direct Control or Voice Control Functionality:

As the world and our customers’ homes have become more connected, we have realized that our customers might prefer to control their Sonos Products by means other than their Sonos app, for example by using a voice enabled product (for example, Amazon Alexa), through a home control mechanism (for example, a Lutron Pico remote), or through the app offered by their favorite music service.

In order to enable this functionality, you will be prompted to allow such devices to connect with your Sonos system (similar to the process you go through to connect a music service). Once you have enabled this functionality, we collect and process the Functional Data, the Additional Usage Data, and Audio Data.

Sonos will share a subset of this data with partners that you have specifically authorized to receive such data in order to ensure that the voice or direct control functionality is working properly. If you wish for us to stop collection of this information or sharing it with the parties you have authorized, simply disable the feature (for example disable voice control) or unlink the feature (for example unlink your home automation remote) from your Sonos Products. Conversely, voice control functionality will not work unless you authorize us to collect and process the data as outlined in this section.