Sonos angers users with privacy policy by removing key protection — what does this mean for your personal data?

Sonos hasn't been having the best time of it recently. It all stems from the... frosty reception of its app redesign, which has left some users floundering with frequent speaker disconnects, missing and removed features, and general UI complaints. Now, Sonos finds itself in more hot water around its app.

If the firm was hoping that the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones would distract users from issues surrounding the app, it could well have been completely mistaken. Spotted by YouTube's Louis Rossmann, Sonos has removed a key line of text in its privacy policy — the one about not selling users' data to third-party companies.

Ouch.

• Speaker deals: Walmart | Best Buy | Amazon | Dell

The continued woes of Sonos

In its app privacy policy, Sonos long had a line that read "Sonos does not and will not sell personal information about our customers." For many, that line was an important promise that when you use the Sonos app, your data is protected and safe from being sold to any potential bad actors. Now that the line in the policy is gone, that promise seems to have evaporated.

Add to the fact that there's no two-factor authentification for the Sonos app, and you've got a piece of software that no longer feels as secure or as protective as before. It is worth noting that there are some parts of the world that still have the line in the policy — although in the US, it has been removed.

It's a massive shame to see these issues plague Sonos, which has made some of the best smart and Bluetooth speakers around for a long time now. It mars the launch of the Sonos Ace headphones as well, leaving potential users with a bitter taste in their mouths as they consider which headphones they should buy — so Sonos needs to sort it all out quickly before more users are put off.

Sonos Era 100 | $249 $199 at Amazon

The Sonos Era 100 is the smaller of the two Era speakers, perfect for a multi-speaker setup around your house. This deal is a great saving on the speaker too, making for its lowest price ever. View Deal

More from iMore

• HomePod vs. Amazon Echo vs. Google Home Max vs. Sonos One
• Sonos Ray soundbar review: A brilliant speaker let down by its ports
• Review: Apple Music and Sonos make an almost perfect pair