Privacy regarding Bose SoundTouch

[1984hasarrived]

This is a link to a forum exchange on Bose speakers from a user concerned about the privacy issues, and some of the replies by Bose make for interesting reading.  Just a few snippets :

Security / Privacy concept for SoundTouch - Bose Community

Hi,
I got a SoundTouch 20 and could not find anything about the security and privacy concept.
My understand is that the smartphone app is communicating with the Internet. But not only for finding a internet radio station.
1.) What information is transfered to the bose serverover the internet? name? email? playlists? fafourite songs? ...???
2.) How is the personal infromation transfered? encrypted? plain http? ... ???
3.) What happens with the personal informations transfered to the bose server?

...

• We collect information through SoundTouch such as:
  • Your email address, name, and street address;
    
  • Technical information, including system model and IP address;
    
  • Location information derived from your IP address (e.g. to deliver the music services available to you);
    
  • Product usage information, including presets and recently-streamed content.
    

...


As far as i could find out, ... NOWHERE. Bose is storing the data including usage behaviour, music you listen, ... mac addresses, ... and so on (as the information considered private in the EU) on server "in the USA or elswhere"n as the privacy document states. A way to see what has been collected or even manage it. No chance.
That is why Bose wants to get in touch via email as they are afraid to state this fact here in public.
Fact is: According to the privacy agreement, YOUR PERSONAL DATA IS EXTENSIVELY COLLECTED WITH NO OPT-IN or OPT-OUT AND IS STORED IN AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY !!! This behaviour is irrensponsible!!

[guohua]

If he's online with an app and that app is searching the net for music, then his email address or IP would be shared with the source of the music provider.

That's common sense I would think.

Get Paranoid Much?    Try This Next Time You use your Smartphone and Ear Buds. 

[senona]

Where Bose privacy policy is concerned, think most music apps are all pretty much like that now a days.
Collecting music preference, what tracks you buy, email, IP, etc etc

 What one needs to know, does it run in the background collecting other data from phone or try to adjust settings on phone.






The thing about it, most people download apps without reading it's "permissions".


For example, millions have the new Facebook Messenger app for mobile use and that has got to be one of the most intrusive apps around.

But in order to use FB chat from smartphone, they make you download it.
Except there is a way around that....by switching to "desktop" format instead of mobile.
Which is what I do if I need to reply to a message.



To be honest, think they all pretty much 'share' your info.....name, IP, email.
But it is the other permissions (violations) that bother me.
Most pretty much ask for complete access to your phone.



In fact, the other night my phone made a funny sound that I had never heard before.
I was at the counter and looked at the screen, and it was saying "Listening" with a blank screen.


Naturally I cleared it off of there (or at least I think I did) and went to see which app was running in background, and it showed none.

[1984hasarrived]

I just thought that this raised some interesting privacy questions, regarding speakers, which are an output device, although now with technology they have become bi-directional.

And the responses of @guohua and @senona are both what most people feel, as I posted in another forum, ie all the big companies are doing it, so it is ok, that is how it is.  

This passive giving up of freedom and privacy is something that the poster in the linked article is questioning, and is asking about where his data is stored - a fair enough question regarding the issues of illegal downloading, prosecution etc, as that may change from one country to another. 

Sadly this is the norm, and people just shrug their shoulders.

[guohua]

I just thought that this raised some interesting privacy questions, regarding speakers, which are an output device, although now with technology they have become bi-directional.

And the responses of @guohua and @senona are both what most people feel, as I posted in another forum, ie all the big companies are doing it, so it is ok, that is how it is.  

This passive giving up of freedom and privacy is something that the poster in the linked article is questioning, and is asking about where his data is stored - a fair enough question regarding the issues of illegal downloading, prosecution etc, as that may change from one country to another. 

Sadly this is the norm, and people just shrug their shoulders.

I don't really understand why more people don't feel as you do.
I think they've been conditioned to believe the Government will Protect Them!    Sheeple Are Stupid and Gullible 

[senona]

I just thought that this raised some interesting privacy questions, regarding speakers, which are an output device, although now with technology they have become bi-directional.

And the responses of @guohua and @senona are both what most people feel, as I posted in another forum, ie all the big companies are doing it, so it is ok, that is how it is.  

This passive giving up of freedom and privacy is something that the poster in the linked article is questioning, and is asking about where his data is stored - a fair enough question regarding the issues of illegal downloading, prosecution etc, as that may change from one country to another. 

Sadly this is the norm, and people just shrug their shoulders.

Oh no, I do not think it is okay.
Not at all.

Hence why I refuse to download many apps, due to privacy/permission issues.


In fact, we just heard about the Amazon Echo in the news the other day.
The murder kind of news. Seriously.




Get this shit....



See this nice cute thingy to listen to music with...that is called Amazon's Echo.
 







Amazon.com





And it does so much more than just play music evidently


An Amazon Echo may be the key to solving a murder case

Internet-connected devices may start helping in criminal cases. As first reported in The Information, police in Bentonville, Arkansas have issued a warrant to Amazon, asking the company to hand over data from an Echo device to help prosecute a suspected murderer.

James Andrew Bates, the suspect in the case, was charged with first-degree murder in November of 2015 after authorities found victim Victor Collins strangled and drowned in Mr. Bates’ hot tub.

Bates has several internet-connected devices in his home, including a Nest thermostat and a Honeywell alarm system, but the key witness in the case may be his Amazon Echo, which, as per The Information, police records say could have controlled the streaming music, which was being wirelessly transmitted throughout the night using Echo’s assistant Alexa.

However, it’s unclear how much data police could extract from the device or how useful that data would be in the case.

Alexa is always listening through a system of seven built-in microphones but waits for you to say the “wake word” to send it commands, like asking for the weather or which music to play, according to the company. The device also streams your audio to the cloud, including a fraction of a second of audio before the wake word.

On a personal note, I  got creeped out myself back during the springtime.

I had been looking at website makers with the intention of opening up an online Airbrush tshirt store to bring in some extra money and finally decided on Weebly.
I had mentioned it a few times to my honey on which one I decided on being as it was simple and had the options I wanted in layout.
Next thing you know, there is a commercial for Weebly.
To say I had a WTF moment would be well, the truth. lol.


Another time I was complaining about how my eyes burn and are scratchy when on the computer for a while.
Jim suggested some eye drops.
So I get some and we talk about my eyes being dry and bam, next thing we see are ads with Jennifer Anniston talking about dry eyes.


No, our TV is not new, meaning it is not labeled a smart TV.
However it is HD and is connected to DirectTV and our XBox.

In my opinion, that right there is too intrusive!!



If all of a sudden the internet crashed and technology crumbled, I would not be upset at all.
We have become to dependent on these digital gadgets IMO without even thinking of what all they are capable of doing behind the scenes.


And yes, I have black tape over my camera on PC.
But the audio is still there. sigh.



Big Brother.
Big Companies.
Big Marketing.


They are all watching/listening to us.
And we are all oblivious to it.
 Of course, many do not care.

We happily buy this stuff and 'invite' them into our homes.
Giving up whatever privacy we have.

[1984hasarrived]

senona

I just thought that this raised some interesting privacy questions, regarding speakers, which are an output device, although now with technology they have become bi-directional.

And the responses of @guohua and @senona are both what most people feel, as I posted in another forum, ie all the big companies are doing it, so it is ok, that is how it is.  

This passive giving up of freedom and privacy is something that the poster in the linked article is questioning, and is asking about where his data is stored - a fair enough question regarding the issues of illegal downloading, prosecution etc, as that may change from one country to another. 

Sadly this is the norm, and people just shrug their shoulders.

Oh no, I do not think it is okay.
Not at all.

Hence why I refuse to download many apps, due to privacy/permission issues.


In fact, we just heard about the Amazon Echo in the news the other day.
The murder kind of news. Seriously.




Get this shit....



See this nice cute thingy to listen to music with...that is called Amazon's Echo.
 







Amazon.com





And it does so much more than just play music evidently


An Amazon Echo may be the key to solving a murder case

Internet-connected devices may start helping in criminal cases. As first reported in The Information, police in Bentonville, Arkansas have issued a warrant to Amazon, asking the company to hand over data from an Echo device to help prosecute a suspected murderer.

James Andrew Bates, the suspect in the case, was charged with first-degree murder in November of 2015 after authorities found victim Victor Collins strangled and drowned in Mr. Bates’ hot tub.

Bates has several internet-connected devices in his home, including a Nest thermostat and a Honeywell alarm system, but the key witness in the case may be his Amazon Echo, which, as per The Information, police records say could have controlled the streaming music, which was being wirelessly transmitted throughout the night using Echo’s assistant Alexa.

However, it’s unclear how much data police could extract from the device or how useful that data would be in the case.

Alexa is always listening through a system of seven built-in microphones but waits for you to say the “wake word” to send it commands, like asking for the weather or which music to play, according to the company. The device also streams your audio to the cloud, including a fraction of a second of audio before the wake word.

On a personal note, I  got creeped out myself back during the springtime.

I had been looking at website makers with the intention of opening up an online Airbrush tshirt store to bring in some extra money and finally decided on Weebly.
I had mentioned it a few times to my honey on which one I decided on being as it was simple and had the options I wanted in layout.
Next thing you know, there is a commercial for Weebly.
To say I had a WTF moment would be well, the truth. lol.


Another time I was complaining about how my eyes burn and are scratchy when on the computer for a while.
Jim suggested some eye drops.
So I get some and we talk about my eyes being dry and bam, next thing we see are ads with Jennifer Anniston talking about dry eyes.


No, our TV is not new, meaning it is not labeled a smart TV.
However it is HD and is connected to DirectTV and our XBox.

In my opinion, that right there is too intrusive!!



If all of a sudden the internet crashed and technology crumbled, I would not be upset at all.
We have become to dependent on these digital gadgets IMO without even thinking of what all they are capable of doing behind the scenes.


And yes, I have black tape over my camera on PC.
But the audio is still there. sigh.



Big Brother.
Big Companies.
Big Marketing.


They are all watching/listening to us.
And we are all oblivious to it.
 Of course, many do not care.

We happily buy this stuff and 'invite' them into our homes.
Giving up whatever privacy we have.



--
Very well said @senona - and it will only get worse as IoT enters people's homes more and more, and there is more connectivity between devices. 

I see this as a major problem on the horizon, and one I will be watching very carefully. In the meantime, I have no connected devices at home, I am pretty old school - still have a 5 disc CD player at home and a Bluetooth speaker for Mp3s.  Tv is a box for watching DVDs, no tv stations at all on it.

[1984hasarrived]

This seems quite apposite for this discussion

   

[senona]

This seems quite apposite for this discussion

Yep, that pretty much sums it up!

[1984hasarrived]

And just for fun, one of the best pop songs evah!!! By the amazing Housemartins, and just listen to the lyrics - from 1986!!! Even more relevant today than back then.  This guy (Paul Heaton) is a lyrical genius.




Sometimes I get so angry with the simple life they lead

And the shepherd's smile seems to confirm my fears

They've never questioned anything, never disagreed

Sometimes I think they must have wool in their ears

And when you see a cane I see a crook

And when you see a crowd I see a flock

It's sheep we're up against

It's sheep we're up against

When I was young they used to get me counting sheep

But the counting I did was all in vain

Now when I'm tired and I'm trying to get to sleep

I count humans jumping onto trains

And when you see a cane I see a crook

And when you see a crowd I see a flock

It's sheep we're up against

It's sheep we're up against, ah ha

[influential guitar break]

Ah yeah, ooh

And when you see a cane I see a crook

And when you see a crowd I see a flock

It's sheep we're up against

It's sheep we're up against, woah ho

It's sheep we're up against, woah ho

Woah, woah, woah, woah

[senona]

@"1984hasarrived"  wrote:

Very well said @senona - and it will only get worse as IoT enters people's homes more and more, and there is more connectivity between devices. 

I see this as a major problem on the horizon, and one I will be watching very carefully. In the meantime, I have no connected devices at home, I am pretty old school - still have a 5 disc CD player at home and a Bluetooth speaker for Mp3s.  Tv is a box for watching DVDs, no tv stations at all on it.

What little we have ourselves is more than enough to wonder/worry about.
And we have no intention on adding anything else.

 
And who cares about a device that will turn your lights, thermostats --whatever it may be-- on or off?
Get your lazy azz up and do it yourself!! Simple, no batteries or wifi needed.
Just saying....



The marketing adds for some of these things are really good too, very enticing and alluring to the naive customer(s).
But at what cost to their privacy that the customer is unaware of?
Yet they buy it, oblivious to what goes on in the background.

As long as they have the newest product out on the market, so they can be like the Jones' is all that matters.....sigh.