We all know our devices are not secure. Our data is being collected. Hackers are lurking. Big Brother is watching. (And yes, maybe we should let Edward Snowden off the hook for delivering the bad news about the NSA.)
But this is really pushing it. According to a recent report in Courthouse News, an Illinois woman is suing the makers of the $130 We-Vibe 4 Plus couples-oriented “smart” sex toy for tracking her usage. The device offers a number of vibration modes and can be controlled via smartphone for long-distance couples adventures.
But according to complaint, the app also relays personal data, including the date and time of each usage and the settings employed, back to the manufacturer, along with the user’s email address.
The issue was first brought to light at the Def Con hacking conference, in a presentation entitled “Breaking the Internet of Vibrating Things” by a pair of hackers named Goldfisk and Follower. The pair noted that the tech that enabled couples to “connect” with one another via app was not only capable of being hacked, but was also allowing the parent company Standard Innovation to collect private information, monitoring such things as the device’s temperature and vibration.
Following the revelation, the company posted a “commitment to customer privacy and security.”
But apprently that didn’t cut it for the customer, identified only as N.P., who filed suit in federal court, accusing manufacturer Standard Innovation of consumer fraud, unjust enrichment, intrusion upon seclusion, and violating the Federal Wiretap Act and the Illinois Eavesdropping Statute, asking for punitive damages. Though, We-Vibe recently told Vocativ they were unavailable for comment as they were unaware of the lawsuit.
Standard Innovation states that they only use collected data solely for the purpose of improving future products, though we doubt any long-distance couple would want anyone to know whether they prefer the “pulse” or the “cha-cha” setting … unless of course that’s their thing.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
