Standard Innovation has responded to accusations from two New Zealand hackers that its We-Connect app is not completely secure. These claims have been widely reported in the media, prompting the company to assure the trade and users that no identifiable personal data is collected by the app, and that it takes all concerns about customer privacy very seriously.
Standard Innovation has issued the following statement: “Recent media articles have reported that at the Def Con conference in Las Vegas, two presenters conducted a demonstration involving a We-Vibe 4 Plus vibrator. Given the intimate nature of We-Vibe products, the privacy and data security of our customer’s data is of utmost importance to our company. Accordingly, we take all concerns about customer privacy and our data practices very seriously.
“The presenters indicated that they were able to control a We-Vibe 4 Plus vibrator within short range distance (ie within the same room), and they highlighted two particular pieces of data collected by the vibrator—processor chip temperature and vibration intensity data. We are continuing to investigate, but in the meantime we want to provide you with some important facts about the security and privacy practices associated with our products.
“Customers are able to use our We-Connect app without registering or creating an account. You don’t need to give us your name, address or other identifying information to use our products, including the remote We-Connect features. If a customer already has an account, they can sign out at any time and continue to use the app.
“We do collect certain limited data to help us improve our products and for diagnostic purposes. As a matter of practice, we use this data in an aggregate, non-identifiable form. Processor chip temperature is used to help us determine whether device processors are operating correctly. And vibration intensity data is used for the purposes of helping us better understand how—in the aggregate—our product features are utilized.
“We have already taken steps to enhance the data security measures for our product offering. As part of this effort, we have engaged external security and privacy experts to conduct a thorough review of our data practices with a view of further strengthening data protection for our customers. We will also do a better job of communicating about our data practices in order to provide greater transparency. We continue to be committed to create products that meet the highest standards and overall customer experience.
“We will post further updates about our data and security efforts soon on the We-Blog.”
