Are Your Bose Headphones Spying on You?
We already know that almost everything we do is being collected about our digital habits — from our smartphones to our laptops and smart TVs. But did you think that something as innocuous as your headphones could also be capable of spying on you and collecting data?
According to a lawsuit filed yesterday in a federal court in Chicago, Bose has been spying on its wireless headphone customers. Kyle Zak, who filed the lawsuit, claims the company uses the Bose Connect app to track wireless customers' music, podcasts and other audio habits, then sells the information gathered — without permission — therefore violating the user's privacy rights.
According to the complaint, the "defendants' conduct demonstrates a wholesale disregard for consumer privacy rights," and what is being listened to, as well as the information gathered and distributed, could be used to identify the user's personality traits, behaviors, and what they think about politics and religion. According to Zak, Bose sent "all available media information" and other data about listening trends from his smartphone to third parties such as Segment.io, which can the collected data anywhere.
TPG is actually a huge fan of Bose's QC35 headphones — an item he says he can't leave home without. Even after hearing about this, TPG says he'll continue to use them — as long as they don't judge his taste in music.
Zak, meanwhile, is seeking "millions of dollars of damages for buyers of headphones and speakers," according to Reuters. The devices he's seeking compensation for include QuietComfort 35 (TPG's headphones of choice), QuietControl 30, SoundLink Around-Ear Wireless Headphones II, SoundLink Color II, SoundSport Wireless and SoundSport Pulse Wireless. In addition to the monetary damages, he's also hoping to halt the data collection, which he says violates the federal Wiretap Act and Illinois laws that protect citizens from eavesdropping and consumer fraud.
Note that these claims do not include the spying and release of data when it comes to phone calls, so your conversations are apparently protected. However, Zak's claims are sure to turn off some wireless customers from using their devices. Bose has not yet responded or offered comments about the lawsuit.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
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- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
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- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app