Bose has always been in the spotlight for its innovative products and for its extremely proficient management. This time, however, the company is in headlines for a negative reason.

According to Mr. Kyle Zak, a Bose consumer, the company has been spying on users via the Bose Connect app and selling the data to third parties including Segment.io, which then sends the customer data to other companies.

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The Allegation:

Mr. Zak bought a pair of $350 Bose headphones named “QuietComfort” and installed an app called Bose Connect, as recommended by the manufacturer to take maximum advantage of the product. However, instead of enhancing the user experience, Mr. Zak claims that the app asked for him to provide his personal information like name, email address and etc.- as part of the registration process of the app.

What’s astonishing is that the data he entered into the app as well as “all available media information” was sold by the manufacturer according to Mr. Zak.

Mr. Zak has filed a lawsuit against the billion dollar company and is now in pursuit of potential millions of dollars in damages if the allegation is found to be true.

An important thing:

Although Mr. Zak has described his personal experience with the model “QuietComfort”, he has suggested that other wireless headphones such as uietControl 30, SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II, SoundLink Color II, SoundSport Wireless and SoundSport Pulse Wireless are also part of the scheme.

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Jay Edelson, the attorney who filed the lawsuit said in a statement that “Companies need to be transparent about the data they take and what they are doing with it, and get consent from their customers before monetizing their personal information.”

What’s the big deal?

Although several companies have been accused of such allegations in the past, here is why this spying thing is a big deal. In his complaint, Mr. Zak mentioned that “Audio choices offer an incredible amount of insight into customers’ personalities, behavior, polit ics, and religious views.”

So far, no response has been given by company officials and whether these allegations holds any solid ground remains to be seen.

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