Bose Wireless Headphones Spy on Customers?

A lawsuit filed by Kyle Zak in Chicago federal court claims Bose spies on wireless headphone customers via app tracking the music, podcasts and other audio they listen to, before violating their privacy rights by selling the data without permission.

Bose appReuters reports the complaint aims to stop the "wholesale disregard" for customer privacy shown by Bose through the free Bose Connect iOS/Android app. According to Zak, Bose sends "all available media information" from the smartphone to 3rd parties such as Segment.io, a customer tracking platform able to collect data and "send it anywhere."

"People should be uncomfortable with it," Christopher Dore, a lawyer representing Zak, says, "People put headphones on their head because they think it's private, but they can be giving out information they don't want to share."

Zak seeks not only millions of dollars in damages for buyers of Bose headphones and speakers, but also a stop to the data collection. Handling the lawsuit is Edelson PC, a specialist in the suing of companies over privacy violation allegations, who says Bose is in violation of the federal Wiretap Act and Illinois laws against eavesdropping and consumer fraud.

Bose is still to comment on the case.

Go Bose Headphones Spy on Listeners: Lawsuit (Reuters)