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posted by martyb on Thursday April 20 2017, @07:32PM   Printer-friendly
from the listen-up dept.

The audio maker Bose, whose wireless headphones sell for up to $350, uses an app to collect the listening habits of its customers and provide that information to third parties—all without the knowledge and permission of the users, according to a lawsuit filed in Chicago on Tuesday.

The complaint accuses Boston-based Bose of violating the WireTap Act and a variety of state privacy laws, adding that a person's audio history can include a window into a person's life and views.

"Indeed, one's personal audio selections – including music, radio broadcast, Podcast, and lecture choices – provide an incredible amount of insight into his or her personality, behavior, political views, and personal identity," says the complaint, noting a person's audio history may contain files like LGBT podcasts or Muslim call-to-prayer recordings.

The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is a man named Kyle Zak, who claims he followed the company's suggestion to "get the most out of your headphones" by downloading the Bose Connect app, and supplying information such as his name, phone number and email address.

Zak is seeking to represent other headphone owners over allegations of illegal data mining. According to the complaint, Bose created detailed profiles of customers' listening histories and habits, and shared it with marketing companies, including a San Francisco firm called Segment whose website offers to "collect all or[sic] your customer customer data and send it anywhere."


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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday April 21 2017, @02:25AM (2 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 21 2017, @02:25AM (#497186) Journal

    "Android is no different than Windows, or even Linux."

    Technically, you are correct. In practice, you've missed something.

    The telcos aren't marketing Android. They aren't even marketing telephones. Instead, they are marketing their own telephones, with OS's and preinstalled application tailored to the telco's own requirements. And, the telco retains root on the device. The telcos make some effort to persuade customers that the phone won't work if the customer attempts to root the device.

    It takes some minimal degree of sophistication to understand what is happening, and it takes a little more sophistication than minimal to root your phone, and to install your own Android on it.

    The masses, or the proles, or the sheeple, don't have that sophistication. They see, "Oooh, SHINY!" and they are sold. They will dig no deeper. "Permissions? What is that? I understand Angry Birds, if it needs permissions, well, so be it!"

    Another way of stating the problem is, "There's a sucker born every minute." Attributed to P.T. Barnum, and/or to David Hannum.

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  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Friday April 21 2017, @12:17PM

    by kaszz (4211) on Friday April 21 2017, @12:17PM (#497364) Journal

    Any smart ideas on how to be badly affected by surrounding suckers that are born every minute?

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by SDRefugee on Friday April 21 2017, @01:33PM

    by SDRefugee (4477) on Friday April 21 2017, @01:33PM (#497383)

    Another way of stating the problem is, "There's a sucker born every minute." Attributed to P.T. Barnum, and/or to David Hannum.

    Its getting to the point where "There's a MILLION suckers born every minute.." Attributed to SDRefugee...

    --
    America should be proud of Edward Snowden, the hero, whether they know it or not..