Talk about invasive corporate overreach. Canadian manufacturer We-Vibe has agreed to pay every customer who was shipped a “smart vibrator” up to C$10,000 each after it was revealed that it was keeping track of their enjoyment without their consent.
Standard Innovation, We-Vibe’s parent company, was sued in a federal court in Illinois in a class action lawsuit, The Guardian reports. Their We-Vibe 4 Plus was marketed as a way for couples to “keep their flame ignited—together or apart,” by using an app that allows you to activate your partners vibrator from a distance, which is useful as a sexual plaything and also an alarm. The app apparently has some security issues: anyone within bluetooth range could potential break in to turn it off or on. And that’s not all. From The Guardian:
In addition, data is collected and sent back to Standard Innovation, letting the company know about the temperature of the device and the vibration intensity – which, combined, reveal intimate information about the user’s sexual habits.
The flaws with the We-Vibe sex toy were first revealed at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas in 2016 by New Zealand-based hackers “goldfisk” and “follower”. Speaking there, the pair argued that the problem was a “serious issue”: “unwanted activation of a vibrator is potentially sexual assault”, follower said.
The We-Vibe hasn’t been recalled; the app has been updated and customers are given a clearer notice of what info they can expect to be sharing when they hit the “on” button. Bad news: if you just bought the vibrator for yourself and didn’t try to use the app, you’re only entitled to $199. Lonely hearts punished again.
