TORONTO — A U.S. woman has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Canadian-owned maker of a smartphone-enabled vibrator, alleging the company sells products that secretly collect and transmit "highly sensitive" information.
The Chicago-area woman, identified in a statement of claim only as N.P, is making her complaints against Standard Innovation (US) Corp, which is owned by the Ottawa-based Standard Innovation Corp, over a "high-end" vibrator called the We-Vibe.
The woman's statement of claim says to fully operate the We-Vibe, users download the "We-Connect" app on a smartphone, allowing them and their partners remote control over the vibrator's settings and features.
The statement of claim alleges that unbeknownst to its customers, Standard Innovation designed the app to collect and record intimate and sensitive data on use of the vibrator, including the date and time of each use as well as vibration settings.
It also alleges the usage data and the user's personal email address was transmitted to the company's servers in Canada.
The statement of claim alleges the company's conduct demonstrates "a wholesale disregard" for consumer privacy rights and violated a number of state and federal laws.
Standard Innovation did not immediately respond to a request for comment but a spokesman told The Chicago Tribune earlier this week that the privacy and security of customer data is "of utmost importance" to the company.
