March 15, 2017
Kellyanne Conway Forgot to Mention Your Vibrator Might Be Spying On You, Too
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
White House adviser Kellyanne Conway reacted to the CIA WikiLeaks data dump on Sunday, telling the Bergen Record that U.S. citizens should be wary of their appliances -- including their microwaves.
The data dump purportedly revealed thew ways in which the agency breaks into computers, cellphones, smart TVs and other devices. While Conway's reaction to the news sparked social media to skewer her with a slew of hilarious memes, poking fun at her microwave comment, one vibrator company is paying out millions of dollars for secretly collecting data on its users.
NPR reports the makers of We-Vibe, a line of vibrators that connects with an app for remote control use, reached a $3.75 million class-action settlement with users. The company is accused of secretly collecting data on its users, learning when and how the sex toy was used.
Standard Innovations, the Canadian manufacturer that makes the We-Vibe, does not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement, NPR reports.
The so-called smart vibrator connects to the app via Bluetooth where users can control the sex toy's settings and can activate it remotely.
Data was reportedly sent back to Standard Innovation, and the company was learning about the vibration intensity and temperature of the product - factors that revealed sensitive information about the users' preferences.
NPR breaks down the terms of the settlement:
"Anyone who bought an app-enabled vibrator can receive up to $199 dollars; anyone who actually connected it to the app can collect up to $10,000. The actual amount paid out will depend on how many people file claims; the company estimates people who bought the app will get around $40, and people who used the app around $500.
The high-end vibrators cost between $119 and $199 if purchased through the We-Vibe website.
Standard Innovation also agreed to stop collecting users' email addresses and to update its privacy notice to be clearer about how data is collected."
Standard Innovation released a statement, saying the settlement was "fair and reasonable."