Sonos Owners Must Accept New Privacy Policy or Devices May "Cease to Function"

Megalith

Megalith

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Sonos may be in for some trouble: the home sound system maker is effectively forcing its customers to opt into providing their email addresses, IP addresses, account login information, room names, and other personal information. Those who do not agree to the privacy statement will no longer receive software updates, and the functionality of their speakers will decrease.

...the company's move to disallow any existing customer a way to opt-out of the policy has riled many who commented in various tweets and Reddit threads. It comes as the company becomes the latest tech firm to offer a new privacy policy for its users, which governs how the company collects its customers' data and shares it with partners. Sonos said that users "can opt out of submitting certain types of personal information to the company; for instance, additional usage data such as performance and activity information." But users will not be able to switch off data that the company considers necessary for each Sonos device to perform its basic functions.
 
hmmm I was considering their stuff for a whole home audio solution. It would have been thousands of dollars - what I considered an expensive option. So I've been mulling around less sexy, but functional alternatives. I guess this helps me make up my mind. The last thing I need to do is invest thousands into a product that turns itself off if I don't let it spy on me =\
 
OldGator said:
Any company that disallows me from opting out will not get my money.
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Any company that wants to gather data from an audio setup is never going to get my money in the first place.. even if there is an "opt-out" option.

What do I need a sound setup that is connected to the internet anyway? So I can play music at my house when I am not home?
 
I'd say they lost a customer, but I never heard anything of theirs I'd consider buying anyways. If I just had to do a whole home setup right now, l would likely go with wifi connected amps so I can tailor speakers to each zone.

I did have a funny moment recently when visiting a friend who has a pretty fancy setup. We were hanging out in his man cave and all of a sudden the Pantera faded out and was replaced by Portishead. Next thing I knew his wife was behind me (having just come through the door) asking what he wanted for dinner. He gave the thumbs up on burgers, she walked out, and the Pantera returned just as it had departed. Apparently he had been abusing the priority setting on the system that has music follow them (well, their phone) around and he was feeling the full force of marital reciprocity. Hah, I remember being the TV remote as a kid, where's my flying car?
 
I'm not sure i understand this, my sonos system can't talk to the internet and still functions fine.
 
Consider another lost customer. Friend of mine has them in his business and they don't sound bad. I liked the ability to do multiple rooms. Then they just announced Amazon Echo integration....SOLD.

Then I read this. Now it's back to the drawing board to find something different.
 
Web connected devices need to send information to web to function if the users update them. Who knew such a thing would happen?!?

Stop your gear from reporting home and it will keep working fine.
 
ruffbytes said:
This is one of the reasons why I do not want an automated self driving car.
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We are going to go ahead and allow your vehicle to ONLY drive to the dealership for that 30,000 mile service until you pay up and have it done...

Better yet , disable it in your driveway untill you pay to have it transported to the dealership for the mandatory maintenance.

Thanks again for surrendering your freedom to own anything Mr/Mrs customer.

:eek:
 
Romale23 said:
I'm not sure i understand this, my sonos system can't talk to the internet and still functions fine.
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Yeah, I'm having trouble trying to figure out what
"if a customer chooses not to acknowledge the privacy statement, (snip) and over time the functionality of the product will decrease."
means? they'll disable one speaker each week till you agree to it? ;)
 
Shame, have a few Sonos products in my office and they sound pretty good.
They won't ever have a place in my home now.
 
Well shit, I see they updated PLEX as well to not allow for an Opt out.

It really annoyed me when they forced my server to log in to the plex account to access it. Took me 3 days to figure out what went wrong. The devices were on one account, the server didn't require login before, and when I did log in, I logged into wrong account...(we have multiple plex accounts)
 
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ChoGGi said:
Yeah, I'm having trouble trying to figure out what
"if a customer chooses not to acknowledge the privacy statement, (snip) and over time the functionality of the product will decrease."
means? they'll disable one speaker each week till you agree to it? ;)
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It means they will do a Creative Labs and intentionally break it with time so you are forced to accept their terms or buy new hardware.

The Supreme Court recently ruled that once a hardware product is sold, it is your to do with as you please. (This was over the HP Photo printer cartridges) So it seems when it comes to hardware, even though a piece of software may be attached to it, companies may be on shaky ground if they try to force you into an agreement post sale.
 
Do they have to be connected to their servers to function?
 
This has got to break first sale doctrine. Fucking assholes.

Glad I'm using Chromecast Audios instead! Cheaper and better.
 
Do the customers actually own the speakers? Or does the on board software make it an EULA and thus the speakers are only leased to you and they can pull the plug whenever they feel like it. Like John Deer is doing.
 
So how many people against this loss of privacy on behalf of Sonos posted their reply from a Windows 10 machine?
 
carlbme said:
Consider another lost customer. Friend of mine has them in his business and they don't sound bad. I liked the ability to do multiple rooms. Then they just announced Amazon Echo integration....SOLD.

Then I read this. Now it's back to the drawing board to find something different.
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Not to flame, but with everything the Echo is doing to invade your privacy for the sake of convenience, why not do the Sonos as well?
 
I have one, I won't get another.

They've been about the artificial limitations for a while, all trying to limit you to using their shitty ecosystem. Unbelievable how long it took them to support spotify connect and it's definitely under duress.

Given that they haven't released any new products for a long time and the existing ones are a tough sell I suspect they're trying to use data for new revenue streams.

At some point Spotify will support multiple outputs (on the same network) and their business will be toast anyway.
 
Master_shake_ said:
I'd say they are commiting corporate suicide but there are people who are ok with handing out whatever data they ask for.

I won't buy their bullshit though.

2 lost customers now.
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Someone of them want to use your data
Some of them wants to have their data used
Some of them want to abuse your privacy
Some of them wants to have their privacy abused.

Corporate dreams are made of this?
 
BulletDust said:
So how many people against this loss of privacy on behalf of Sonos posted their reply from a Windows 10 machine?
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Zero W10 machines in my house, all W7 for older machines and several new workstations and storage arrays went Linux.

I am attempting to keep my home and vehicles from getting smart enough to join Skynet.

Too many just don't care about their formerly private information, I say it's time to get out the torches and pitchforks and head up to the castle.
 
WTF.

I believe that every company that has some type of system that needs an eventual software update thinks that it can now get on the facebook and google bandwagon and convert 'likes" into cash.

When a company has e-mail addys and the other pertinate info, its a way to get extra cash by selling to webvertizers. The new commodity is peoples "likes". It doesnt have anything to do with anything else. Just another way to create income. The problem, as large as it is, is that folks didnt sign on to become an alternative stream of ad dollars. How much do you wanna bet that the folks that give up that info will all of a sudden see targeted ads? W-O-F'n.......wow!

A system designed to bring soothing sounds - sonos - is now attempting to strong arm their clients to accept the stress of more web ad's. Another company has lost the focus in what made them popular in the first place.
 
Sono was just recommended to me as a good option for what I'm trying to do around the house. They are now off of my list and I'm going to let the guy (who works for a high end audio company in Colorado) know what they are doing.
 
Meeho said:
Do they have to be connected to their servers to function?
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No, that's what i'm getting at. You do lose some functionality like listening to radio, but there are ways around that too. I DO understand why everyone is upset. Your privacy is fucking doomed regardless and this is just another nail in it. That being said this is an easy one to get around. My sonos can't talk to the internet at all and i can still do everything including updating it. Its a damn good system overall. Had I not been tech savvy and read this i probably wouldn't buy it? but then again, how many people would even read this and care and not be tech savvy. I'm more upset by it not supporting audible than this.
 
So, basically, don't update them and continue as is?

What about new purchases? Is an initial connection required?
 
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The problem I have with not updating a Sonos IMO (my old roommate had a big one for the middle level of our house) is that you needed it's POS app to play even Spotify. It's not really a Bluetooth speaker it's a lot more.

I had to login to Spotify through their app to use Spotify on it. Never did much care for that, but the sound for a portable speaker was high quality.
 
Meeho said:
So, basically, don't update them and continue as is?

What about new purchases? Is an initial connection required?
Click to expand...

Krazy925 said:
The problem I have with not updating a Sonos IMO (my old roommate had a big one for the middle level of our house) is that you needed it's POS app to play even Spotify. It's not really a Bluetooth speaker it's a lot more.

I had to login to Spotify through their app to use Spotify on it. Never did much care for that, but the sound for a portable speaker was high quality.
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So, you can still update them and continue on you dont need the internet to set them up unless something changed. The way around them trying to control your audio inputs issue is to send it through the tv or a receiver. Its kinda annoying and very inconvenient, but it does work. The sonos connect will plug into any receiver.
 
Romale23 said:
So, you can still update them and continue on you dont need the internet to set them up unless something changed. The way around them trying to control your audio inputs issue is to send it through the tv or a receiver. Its kinda annoying and very inconvenient, but it does work. The sonos connect will plug into any receiver.
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Ours didn't have any kind of plug in the back to my knowledge, and we had a full 7.2 in the room next to it. As far as I know it was ran entirely off wifi through an app.

It remains to be seen how long that app would still allow me to login and use the speaker without updating it, but I moved out, and he no doubt doesn't care.

I'm gonna have to hard pass on Sonos though.
 
I kinda never liked them anyway. Because of the fact you had to use their app to access anything
I just use a BT speaker and send whatever I want to play from my phone
 
Krazy925 said:
Ours didn't have any kind of plug in the back to my knowledge, and we had a full 7.2 in the room next to it. As far as I know it was ran entirely off wifi through an app.

It remains to be seen how long that app would still allow me to login and use the speaker without updating it, but I moved out, and he no doubt doesn't care.

I'm gonna have to hard pass on Sonos though.
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So there is the Sonos connect to tie in a receiver. If you have a playbar there is an optical connector on the back that is supposed to be from the TV (but it doesn't have to be you could connect a reciever over optical too). I only have the playbar and the amp I had to connect it to my wifi to do initial setup and did the vlan thing originally and then when i moved i never connected it to the new wifi and it still connects directly to the sub. But key thing is you can have it setup on your wifi and not have internet access. (I'm assuming the setup you have actually requires wifi)
 
My guess is all the people here bitching about sonos all pay in cash for everything too. My guess is they all run high end custom built routers that anonymize all their traffic through 1000's of hops via a complex randomization algorithm.

My honest guess is the reason for doing this is there is a clone out there that is playing havoc on their revenue stream and want to put a nail in it.
 
Trepidati0n said:
My guess is all the people here bitching about sonos all pay in cash for everything too. My guess is they all run high end custom built routers that anonymize all their traffic through 1000's of hops via a complex randomization algorithm.
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Ah, the obligatory "you have a finger up your ass, so why don't you take the whole arm" post.
 
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