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Dildo Company Ordered To Pay £3 Million Damages After 'Spying' On Users

Dildo Company Ordered To Pay £3 Million Damages After 'Spying' On Users

Wait... what?!

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay

A sex toy company has been ordered to pay over £3 million to customers after tracking customer's usage without their consent.

The We-Vibe 4 Plus, which costs £90, lets you connect to your smartphone. Their unique selling point was that the user's partner could control the device on the user's behalf from anywhere in the world.

So far so good, right?

Well, not quite. According to the Mirror, during the Def Con hacking conference, two hackers found out that the data from the dildos was being sent over to Standard Innovation, the company that owns the dildo.

This information included temperature changes, vibration intensity and dates and times that the device was being used. Users were not aware that this information was being stored, and the details were kept alongside information which could identify the user, such as email addresses.

Standard Innovation justified itself by stating that the data was collected solely for "diagnostic purposes." But that didn't wash with two female customers who sued the company after claiming that they were not notified or warned that their information was being stored.

The case was filed in an Illinois district court, where the company was accused of violating the Federal Wiretap Act. Not only that, but also general privacy issues and consumer protection statutes.

The women won the case, and the company has now been ordered to pay £3 million in compensation. That means that every customer will receive £8,200 - but only if they connected their device to the smartphone app. Those who simply bought the device but didn't connect it can claim £160. Twice as much as they paid seems pretty fair.

In a statement, the company said: "At Standard Innovation we take customer privacy and data security seriously.

"We have enhanced our privacy notice, increased app security, provided customers 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."

So there you have it. Even dildos are spying on your sexual habits.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images