Sex toy app hacked and the CIA may have used it to spy on your core temperature

Misfit

Lawful neutral
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39280941

A Canadian sex-toy maker has been accused of tracking data on the intimate habits of thousands of its customers.

The Ottawa-based company, Standard Innovation, has agreed a collective payout up to a total of C$4m (£2.4m) for users in the US, where the lawsuit was filed.

But where does that leave other sex-toy users?

The We-Connect app connected to its We-Vibe vibrator, and the data collected was sent back to the company, including details on temperatures, settings and usage.

This week, the company agreed its payout for US customers who bought the product before 26 September last year.

Under the deal, those who used the We-Connect app will be paid up to C$10,000 each.

The settlement only applies to customers in the US, and Standard Innovation says it has since enhanced its privacy notice and app security.

Why would you need an app to use a sex toy?

According to Ann Summers, a British retail chain that specialises in sex toys, the market is becoming increasingly hi-tech.

"Our company has been around since the early 1970s," said spokeswoman Kyrsty Hazell-Page. "Back then, products didn't even vibrate. Then they moved from battery-powered to USB-charged, then came apps and now virtual reality is the next big thing."

Is the CIA interested in your sex habits?

Earlier this month, the Wikileaks website published allegations that the CIA had developed ways to listen in on smartphones and smart-TV microphones.
 
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