A lawsuit in Illinois contends that Bose uses a companion app to collect and share data with third parties when you use Bose wireless headphones.
While it’s never that surprising to learn a major company that makes your life infinitely easier is abusing your data, it’s nonetheless disconcerting to be faced with the specifics. And if you listen to music with Bose Connect app, it’s time to face up.
The Bose Connect app is a companion app that lets users of Bose headsets and speakers control their listening experience – for example, adjust variable levels of noise canceling or split audio between devices.
A plaintiff in an Illinois lawsuit claims that when you use the Bose Connect app, the company collects and shares the songs you listen to and other identifying information with third parties, all without your permission. It doesn’t stop there. Per the complaint:
[Bose] programmed its Bose Connect app to continuously record the contents of the electronic communications that users send to their Bose Wireless Products from their smartphones, including the names of the music and audio tracks they select to play along with the corresponding artist and album information, together with the Bose Wireless Product’s serial numbers.
As the plaintiff explains, serial numbers are breadcrumbs for Bose because if you registered your product, the company can then align the information they tracked with your personal data on file. That is, your email address, phone number and name. They can then share this information with other companies.
This is all, according to the Illinois plaintiff, a violation of the Federal Wiretap Act.
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Bose may be tracking your listening habits and everything else if you use any of the following headsets or speakers:
- QC35
- SoundSport wireless
- SoundSport Pulse wireless
- QuietControl 30
- SoundLink wireless II
- SoundLink Color II
- SoundLink Revolve
- SoundLink Revolve+
The audio giant has yet to provide comment and the case will presumably pick up coverage as it plays out. Until we get a verdict or Bose changes their programming, enjoy some peace of mind. If you’ve been freaking out thinking you’re getting targeted ads based on what you listen to, turns out you’re not crazy.
