Maker of internet-connected vibrator must pay $4m for secretly tracking users' sexual activity

We-Vibe agreed to pay up to $10,000 each to customers after tracking use of their "smart vibrators" without permission. The total hit is for $4m.

The We-Vibe 4 Plus is a £90 bluetooth connected vibrator, which can be controlled through an app. It is marketed as a way to "allow couples to keep their flame ignited – together or apart". Its app-enabled controls can be activated remotely, allowing, for instance, a partner on the other end of a video call to interact.

But the app came with a number of security and privacy vulnerabilities, which added up to produce something that many would feel uncomfortable about using.

They sold people on "control a vibrator with your phone" but the reality was "we build a data graph of your sexual habits."