SONY's illegal blocking policy

[coreygun]

I've had this Sony TV for 5 years, and it has just today started requiring me to agree to their privacy policy EVERY time I click to watch Netflix or Amazon video, saying that I have to because of it being a 'public network'. It's not - it's MY private broadband, MY Netflix subscription, and MY tv. If I disagree to their policy, it removes these apps from the list. Sony have no right to stop me from watching services that I have paid for, on a tv that I bought and was not told that I would need to agree to their privacy policies to use. This must be illegal. I didn't upgrade my software, so why have they started doing this??

[Piscie]

Hey @coreygun, to be honest I don't think there is anything illegal about this. Agreeing to the TV's privacy policy would allow you to use its variant features and services, and you can always check what are these policies by pressing Settings - TV about - Legal Info - Sony Legal). I've also found this.

[coreygun]

Well there is no need for my tv to be sharing information about my viewing to Sony, it is not necessary, and then blocking me from using services that I have paid for if I disagree. It didn't do this when I bought it 5 years ago, and only just started this week, EVERY TIME I click to watch Netflix or Amazon. If they had told me I would have to do this when I bought the tv, I wouldn't have bought it. They've changed the product that I paid for without my consent.

Imagine you bought a car and 2 years down the line the manufacturer said they won't let you use the car unless they put a camera in it pointing at your face, and every time you want to drive you'll have to press some buttons on it, and if you didn't the car won't start, would you be happy?

[hammiemhamilton]

No I wouldn’t I won’t be buying another Sony as I can’t get UKtvplay on it. Why can’t they just get on with providing decent products which is why they had such a grasp of the market in the first place 

[HannahEd01]

Good luck finding a company that allows you to use their tech without agreeing to their terms. That's the world that we live in now.

They own our data. They own everything.

[coreygun]

That's just one of the issues, the main thing being that I have to do it EVERY time I open Netflix or another streaming service, and it's only just started doing this recently - I haven't updated the software, so it shouldn't change it's behaviour.

[Piscie]

Hey @coreygun, the thing is nothing can be done at this point. It is necessary to agree to the terms and conditions to be able to enjoy the TV's features. And by the way it is not just Sony, many other businesses require agreeing to their policies to be able to use their data. For me, I have a big trust in Sony so I believe that the aim of the privacy policy is to protect our data as a customers and also theirs from any privacy violation.

[coreygun]

You're completely missing the point. I'm not an idiot, I know why companies have privacy policies and T&Cs. It's not a question of protecting my data - accepting a T&Cs file doesn't change how well they store and protect my data, it's a question of why do they need my data at all, seeing as they don't serve me ads or supply me with any content - Netflix does, and thats who I'm paying to watch Netflix, and Sony think I need to agree to their terms 5 times a day, and then block me from watching Netflix that I pay for if I get fed up with accepting their terms every time I watch tv.

If you read my previous comments you'll see that it only started doing this recently; I bought the tv in the knowledge that I wouldn't have to do this, but they have changed it since. Imagine Sony decided to remove all apps from your tv after you'd bought it, it's the same thing - changing what you've paid for, when it's too late for you to back out.

[HannahEd01]

Hey coreygun, I am really sorry but I don't see your point. It's the same with all companies, all apps, all devices, everywhere in the entire world. If that's a concern then try a workaround, like a VPN or something.