Sonos angers users with privacy policy by removing key protection — what does this mean for your personal data?

Sonos Ray Soundbar
(Image credit: iMore / Stephen Warwick)

Sonos hasn't been having the best time of it recently. It all stems from the... frosty reception of its app redesign, which has left some users floundering with frequent speaker disconnects, missing and removed features, and general UI complaints. Now, Sonos finds itself in more hot water around its app.

If the firm was hoping that the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones would distract users from issues surrounding the app, it could well have been completely mistaken. Spotted by YouTube's Louis Rossmann, Sonos has removed a key line of text in its privacy policy — the one about not selling users' data to third-party companies.

Ouch.

The continued woes of Sonos

In its app privacy policy, Sonos long had a line that read "Sonos does not and will not sell personal information about our customers." For many, that line was an important promise that when you use the Sonos app, your data is protected and safe from being sold to any potential bad actors. Now that the line in the policy is gone, that promise seems to have evaporated.

Add to the fact that there's no two-factor authentification for the Sonos app, and you've got a piece of software that no longer feels as secure or as protective as before. It is worth noting that there are some parts of the world that still have the line in the policy — although in the US, it has been removed.

It's a massive shame to see these issues plague Sonos, which has made some of the best smart and Bluetooth speakers around for a long time now. It mars the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones as well, leaving potential users with a bitter taste in their mouths as they consider which headphones they should buy — so Sonos needs to sort it all out quickly before more users are put off.

Sonos Era 100 | $249$199 at Amazon

Sonos Era 100 | $249 $199 at Amazon

The Sonos Era 100 is the smaller of the two Era speakers, perfect for a multi-speaker setup around your house. This deal is a great saving on the speaker too, making for its lowest price ever.

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Tammy Rogers
Senior Staff Writer

As iMore's Senior Staff writer, Tammy uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she's got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won't find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don't ask her about AirPods Max - you probably won't like her answer.

  • FFR
    Sonos is a privacy nightmare.
    Reply
  • Just_Me_D
    I “guess” the attitude of Sonos is this: Everyone else is making money selling customer data, why shouldn’t we? Businesses have been trying to recoup lost revenue brought on by the pandemic as if it were our fault.
    Reply
  • FFR
    Just_Me_D said:
    I “guess” the attitude of Sonos is this: Everyone else is making money selling customer data, why shouldn’t we? Businesses have been trying to recoup lost revenue brought on by the pandemic as if it were our fault.

    It always happens when profit or revenue start to fall.

    Picked up two Sonos speakers last month. The speakers requires an app, the app required me to setup a Sonos account and give the app my precise gps location as well as access to my WiFi network and all devices connected to it. and there was some kind of message on the app to notify me they were going to use and give access to my data to third parties, crazy .

    Returned the Sonos speakers the very next day and picked up 4 Apple HomePods.
    Reply
  • Just_Me_D
    FFR said:
    It always happens when profit or revenue start to fall.

    Picked up two Sonos speakers last month. The speakers requires an app, the app required me to setup a Sonos account and give the app my precise gps location as well as access to my WiFi network and all devices connected to it. and there was some kind of message on the app to notify me they were going to use and give access to my data to third parties, crazy .

    Returned the Sonos speakers the very next day and picked up 4 Apple HomePods.


    I would have done the exact same thing. I mean - I appreciate them being upfront and all, but my gosh, I don’t want to sell my soul just to have a pair of great sounding speakers. It’s not worth it.
    Reply
  • FFR
    Just_Me_D said:
    I would have done the exact same thing. I mean - I appreciate them being upfront and all, but my gosh, I don’t want to sell my soul just to have a pair of great sounding speakers. It’s not worth it.

    Indeed, from time to time I might pick up some non-apple tech to see how the industry is doing, it does not look to be doing well.
    Reply