Sex-Toy Maker Ordered to Pay $3M for Tracking Users’ Activity

A Canadian sex-toy manufacturer, We-Vibe, has been ordered to pay out almost $3 million to customers who bought a “smart vibrator” that tracked owners’ usage without their knowledge. Each customer who used the associated app will be paid $7,433, and customers who bought the vibrator but never used the app can claim up to $147. The payout follows an Illinois class-action lawsuit. The vibrator, unfortunately, came with a number of security issues. The app, for example, could be manipulated to allow anyone within Bluetooth range to control the device. Intimate information about specific users was sent back to the company, including the temperature of the device and the vibration intensity. “At Standard Innovation, we take customer privacy and data security seriously,” the parent company said in a statement. “We have enhanced our privacy notice, increased app security, provided customers [with] more choice in the data they share, and we continue to work with leading privacy and security experts to enhance the app. With this settlement, Standard Innovation can continue to focus on making new, innovative products for our customers.”