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In the ever-growing world of digital connectivity and “Internet of Things,” how much sharing is too much?
Apparently everything is connected to the Internet these days, even sex toys.
In fact, a lawsuit has been filed in a Delaware court against the Ottawa maker of the popular We-Vibe adult sexual aid, over the way newer versions of the device share “highly intimate” data over the web.
A version of the vibrating sex toy, called the We-Vibe Rave, which was released two years ago, is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible and can be controlled using a cellphone app called We-Connect, allowing users to control the toy’s intensity and vibration patterns. It also allows for partners to control the toy remotely, while other features built into the app allow for private text messages and video calls.
The lawsuit filed on Sept. 2 claims that Standard Innovation Corp. did not do enough to explain how the “sensitive information” being generated by We-Connect users was being used.
“Unbeknownst to its customers … (Standard Innovation) designed We-Connect to collect and record highly intimate and sensitive data regarding consumers’ personal We-Vibe use, including the date and time of each use and the selected vibration settings, and transmit such usage data – along with the users’ personal email address – to its servers in Canada,” reads the court filing.
The filing on behalf of a female We-Vibe user, identified as “N.P.” seeks certification as a class action complaint and asks the courts for a trial by jury. It alleges the company’s actions demonstrate “a wholesale disregard” for various privacy rights and violated a number of U.S. laws.
In a statement, Standard Innovation said it has not yet been notified of the lawsuit.
“We cannot comment on rumour or speculation. Should we receive additional information, we will review it thoroughly and comment at the appropriate time,” the company said in the statement. “There’s been no allegation that any of our customers’ data has been compromised. However, given the intimate nature of our products, the privacy and security of our customers’ data is of utmost importance to our company. Accordingly, we take concerns about customer privacy and our data practices seriously.”
Eve-Lynn J. Rapp, a lawyer with Edelson PC in San Francisco who is handling the case, said Standard Innovation would be served with papers by Friday.
Standard Innovation said it has been working to improve its data security and privacy practices, including consultations with security and privacy experts with a view of further strengthening data protection and privacy for our customers.
It said it will also strive to better communicate its data practices to its customers.
“We are updating the We-Connect app later this month, and the update will include new in-app communication regarding our privacy and data practices and a new feature for consumers to control how their data may be used,” it said in the statement.
The lawsuit serves as a warning for companies that are increasingly pushing more web connectivity and share usage data online.
Known in technical circles as the “Internet of Things”, the ever-expanding list of connected devices is staggering. According to information technology researcher Gartner, there are more than 6.4 billion devices connected to the Internet and sharing information online today. That number is expected to hit 20.8 billion devices by 2020, excluding tablets, cellphones and computers, as everything from solar panel to coffeemakers and adult sex aids are hooked up.
In February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released a 34-page report outlining concerns for privacy and data as the Internet of Things continues to take shape.
“The Internet of Things has been compared to electricity, or a nervous system for the planet, to illustrate phenomena that are at once pervasive, unseen and will become crucially integrated within the fabric of our society,” states the report. “Several international experts, thinkers and technology builders are forecasting profound political, social and economic transformations; concerns about privacy and surveillance are chief among them.”
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Apparently everything is connected to the Internet these days, even sex toys.
In fact, a lawsuit has been filed in a Delaware court against the Ottawa maker of the popular We-Vibe adult sexual aid, over the way newer versions of the device share “highly intimate” data over the web.
A version of the vibrating sex toy, called the We-Vibe Rave, which was released two years ago, is Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible and can be controlled using a cellphone app called We-Connect, allowing users to control the toy’s intensity and vibration patterns. It also allows for partners to control the toy remotely, while other features built into the app allow for private text messages and video calls.
The lawsuit filed on Sept. 2 claims that Standard Innovation Corp. did not do enough to explain how the “sensitive information” being generated by We-Connect users was being used.
“Unbeknownst to its customers … (Standard Innovation) designed We-Connect to collect and record highly intimate and sensitive data regarding consumers’ personal We-Vibe use, including the date and time of each use and the selected vibration settings, and transmit such usage data – along with the users’ personal email address – to its servers in Canada,” reads the court filing.
The filing on behalf of a female We-Vibe user, identified as “N.P.” seeks certification as a class action complaint and asks the courts for a trial by jury. It alleges the company’s actions demonstrate “a wholesale disregard” for various privacy rights and violated a number of U.S. laws.
In a statement, Standard Innovation said it has not yet been notified of the lawsuit.
“We cannot comment on rumour or speculation. Should we receive additional information, we will review it thoroughly and comment at the appropriate time,” the company said in the statement. “There’s been no allegation that any of our customers’ data has been compromised. However, given the intimate nature of our products, the privacy and security of our customers’ data is of utmost importance to our company. Accordingly, we take concerns about customer privacy and our data practices seriously.”
Eve-Lynn J. Rapp, a lawyer with Edelson PC in San Francisco who is handling the case, said Standard Innovation would be served with papers by Friday.
Standard Innovation said it has been working to improve its data security and privacy practices, including consultations with security and privacy experts with a view of further strengthening data protection and privacy for our customers.
It said it will also strive to better communicate its data practices to its customers.
“We are updating the We-Connect app later this month, and the update will include new in-app communication regarding our privacy and data practices and a new feature for consumers to control how their data may be used,” it said in the statement.
The lawsuit serves as a warning for companies that are increasingly pushing more web connectivity and share usage data online.
Known in technical circles as the “Internet of Things”, the ever-expanding list of connected devices is staggering. According to information technology researcher Gartner, there are more than 6.4 billion devices connected to the Internet and sharing information online today. That number is expected to hit 20.8 billion devices by 2020, excluding tablets, cellphones and computers, as everything from solar panel to coffeemakers and adult sex aids are hooked up.
In February, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada released a 34-page report outlining concerns for privacy and data as the Internet of Things continues to take shape.
“The Internet of Things has been compared to electricity, or a nervous system for the planet, to illustrate phenomena that are at once pervasive, unseen and will become crucially integrated within the fabric of our society,” states the report. “Several international experts, thinkers and technology builders are forecasting profound political, social and economic transformations; concerns about privacy and surveillance are chief among them.”
查看原文...
