Maker of ‘Smart’ Vibrators Settles Data Collection Lawsuit for $3.75 Million
13 replies, posted
[quote]Forget about prying microwaves. The real spies might be sex toys.
That, at least, was a claim made by two plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in Chicago against Standard Innovation, a Canadian manufacturer of “smart” vibrators that allow users to remotely “turn on your lover” via a Bluetooth connection.
The class action came after two hackers demonstrated in a hacking conference last year that it was possible to remotely take control of the vibrator and activate it.
The company agreed this week to pay $3.75 million to settle the suit, which alleged that the firm violated privacy by accessing personal information. Under the terms of the settlement, Standard Innovation will also stop recording users’ personal information and destroy any collected data.
To use the We-Vibe vibrator’s full range of features and customized vibrations, including text and chat features, users were required to download the We-Connect mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play. Once the app was installed and linked to the vibrator, consumers could use their smartphone to remotely access and control it, according to the company.
“The usage information collected by Standard Innovation through We-Connect is extraordinarily intimate and private,” according to court documents from the plaintiffs. The two lead plaintiffs were anonymous, including an Illinois woman identified as N.P. who said she bought a $130 We-Vibe Rave and downloaded the app but was never warned about the data collection, The Chicago Tribune reported.[/quote]
[url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/14/technology/we-vibe-vibrator-lawsuit-spying.html?src=twr&smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0]NYT[/url]
Internet of Shit continues, you'd think manufacturers of IoTs would've atleast taken basic security steps before releasing their product.
Or hell atleast check it with something like shodan.io
[quote]“A lot of people in the past have said it’s not really a serious issue,” one of the hackers, who goes by @Followr on Twitter, told the conference. “But if you come back to the fact that we’re talking about people, unwanted activation of a vibrator is potentially sexual assault.” His co-presenter was @g0ldfisk. They estimated that Standard Innovation had about two million customers for its products.[/quote]
Should hacking vibrators really be considered sexual assault?
[editline]40[/editline]
Actually, upon further reflection, it probably is if the owner is using the toy. I didn't think too much about it, I just imagined a hacker activating the vibrator in the drawer and not the actual usage of it.
[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;51960427]Should hacking vibrators really be considered sexual assault?
[editline]40[/editline]
Actually, upon further reflection, it probably is if the owner is using the toy. I didn't think too much about it, I just imagined a hacker activating the vibrator in the drawer and not the actual usage of it.[/QUOTE]
I still don't see how it could be. It doesn't have legs. If you don't want to use it then don't?
I think the more serious issue is that they were collecting personal information without informing the app user.
[QUOTE=laserpanda;51960604]I still don't see how it could be. It doesn't have legs. If you don't want to use it then don't?
I think the more serious issue is that they were collecting personal information without informing the app user.[/QUOTE]
If you could turn on any vibrator within a certain radius to max wherever you happened to be, you could humiliate a lot of people.
[QUOTE=laserpanda;51960604]I still don't see how it could be. It doesn't have legs. If you don't want to use it then don't?
I think the more serious issue is that they were collecting personal information without informing the app user.[/QUOTE]
I guess thinking maybe your partner had turned it on for you, and when you get home they have no idea what you are talking about. Might be pretty creepy and threatening in some situations.
[QUOTE=FreakyMe;51960619]If you could turn on any vibrator within a certain radius to max wherever you happened to be, you could humiliate a lot of people.[/QUOTE]
I was thinking of the very unlikely scenario where someone is using the toy, and someone hacks into it, fiddling with the vibration settings without the person's consent. It sure as hell isn't rape, but it's not any better than a stranger groping you on the street.
What info would you even want to collect from a vibrator???
[QUOTE=nomad1;51960685]What info would you even want to collect from a vibrator???[/QUOTE]
[quote]“Standard Innovation collected individual-level usage information – often tied to users’ personally identifiable addresses,” they said, adding that the firm “breached its customers’ trust, devalued their purchases” and “ violated federal and state law in the process.”[/quote]
- Usage Information
- Address (Likely GPS)
[QUOTE=nomad1;51960685]What info would you even want to collect from a vibrator???[/QUOTE]
It's cause you always have to enter way more info than you probably need to set up the app that goes with stuff like this and the problem is that it's not secure.
[QUOTE=nomad1;51960685]What info would you even want to collect from a vibrator???[/QUOTE]
If I were a teenager and I found remote access to a smart vibrator I would probably turn it on full blast to see who the owner is
Imagine finding out its your mom's vibrator and she thinks your dad gave her an orgasm while he was at work when it was really you and your friends screwing around on the computer
Remote vibrator access could be shared on social media or 4chan and people would do this stuff because it would be funny when it can cause real personal embarassment. Smart devices need to be kept secured to prevent this.
[QUOTE=ROFLBURGER;51960703]- Usage Information
- Address (Likely GPS)[/QUOTE]
So, they get information of when and where people use vibrators for... advertisement purposes, I guess?
[QUOTE=gufu;51961160]So, they get information of when and where people use vibrators for... advertisement purposes, I guess?[/QUOTE]
The example the company gave was knowing they needed to use a more powerful motor if everyone used it at 100 percent
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