Sonos smart speakers are coming your way; users must accept privacy policy, or else

It’s been about a year since consumer electronics company Sonos announced its 2017 integration plans with Amazon Alexa for its upcoming line of smart speakers. Fast forward, while the Alexa integration is already in private beta, Sonos is also tapping into built-in voice control and additional voice assistants. Like Amazon Echo, the smart speaker will monitor ambient noise in search for wake words.

“I’m very confident that we can deliver multiple voice systems to our customers,” said Sonos CEO Patrick Spence earlier this year. “I’d love to be supporting not only Echo and Dot, but also Google Home.”

However, no significant advancement can be made without user approval of their updated privacy policy. Unless users accept the terms and conditions, their devices will “cease to function.” When these changes were considered, Sonos consulted with specialists in the privacy community to make sure the policy is clearly written, and to avoid confusing vocabulary.

Why would some customers opt out? Because Sonos wants clearance on collecting account information, including error data and audio settings, for a better experience and system performance.

“The data also makes tools like Trueplay tuning possible, so your speakers sound great in every room,” the company explained in a blog post. “And as we introduce new ways for you to control Sonos, like with your voice and via music service apps and smart home integrations, the data you provide makes these experiences seamless.”.

Sonos is fully transparent and specific on what they collect and why, and assures customers that the data will not be sold and no voice data recordings will be kept. However, there is one exception – partners with streaming services and home devices will receive some data “that is necessary for making the partner service work on Sonos and providing a quality experience.”

“It covers those things that we’ve already talked about like Alexa integration, currently in private beta. It also covers future voice experiences like additional voice assistants and any future products with integrated microphones,” said a spokesperson for Variety.