The makers of the We-Vibe, a line of vibrators that can be paired with an app for remote-controlled use, have reached a $3.75 million class action settlement with users following allegations that the company was collecting data on when and how the sex toy was used.
The We-Vibe product line includes a number of Bluetooth-enabled vibrators that, when linked to the "We-Connect" app, can be controlled from a smartphone. It allows a user to vary rhythms, patterns and settings -- or give a partner, in the room or anywhere in the world, control of the device.
Since the app was released in 2014, some observers have raised concerns that Internet-connected sex toys could be vulnerable to hacking. But the lawsuit doesn't involve any outside meddling -- instead, it centers on concerns that the company itself was tracking users' sex lives.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Illinois in September. It alleges that -- without customers' knowledge -- the app was designed to collect information about how often, and with what settings, the vibrator was used.
The lawyers for the anonymous plaintiffs contended that the app, "incredibly," collected users' email addresses, allowing the company "to link the usage information to specific customer accounts." Customers' email addresses and usage data were transmitted to the company's Canadian servers, the lawsuit alleges.
When a We-Vibe was remotely linked to a partner, the connection was described as "secure," but some information was also routed through We-Connect and collected, the lawsuit says.
How retarded can people be. Seriously I have completely lost hope in humanity.
Josiah Diaz
Who the fuck would find this data useful or would even buy it?
Owen Long
Ad companies probably. If they know you have a preference for shoving a dildo up your ass/pussy on thursday evenings, but less so during the rest of the week, they know when to show you ads for TRIPLE-XXX ULTRA VIBEMASTER DILDO 2000.
And then there's also the issue of this information getting leaked/stolen, which could lead to nasty blackmail situations. Eg. Why does John Doe have control of Jennie Smith's vibrator when he's married to Jane Doe?
Cameron Diaz
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Jordan Perez
good job op
Jaxon Rodriguez
This is where that stallman whispering "gno" image is most applicable. They deserved this and get no sympathy. I hope their smart toasters kill them
Anthony Long
I searched for it and I guess the OP was too ashamed to admit he found the article on Dailykos. Here's some other sources: archive.fo/W9sra archive.fo/QRp9I
Logan Ortiz
wew what a time to be alive
Ayden Taylor
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Kevin Bell
What a surprise. Nothing new under the sun.
The philosophy behind ""big data"" is: "It doesn't matter if we don't have any use yet, something will find one"
Those smart devices probably also make women infertile.
David Young
I copy pasted that shit from /.
I'm a little ashamed to read slashdot, but you should probably be more ashamed that you need to investigate more into this story.
Want to join the class-action lawsuit? :P
Actually no one should be ashamed about the vibrator. They should be ashamed of the smartphone part.. that's what's stupidly hilarious about it.
From one fucker who's glad he's living to experience the stupid ages. I'm expecially glad that we're only begging this IoT shit, it's going to be action packed hilarious.
Julian Rodriguez
It's like people haven't learned anything from the Fappening. You cannot trust online companies ever.
This. That thing is explicitly marketed as a partner vibrator, not a solo sex toy.
Parker Cruz
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Sebastian Scott
You're not thinking of current obsession with big data. Individual data like this can be totally useless, but paired with other data to produce correlations it can become extremely useful to some. Who would buy it? Everybody. Even (or especially) predictive policing could make use of it to improve their algorithms.
Luis Rogers
I think there are already dildos with cameras on the market, which means there are idiots that buy them as well. So no need to be hidden, people would pay premium for it.
