** Class Plaintiff not Feeling Data Collection Practices of Intimate Personal Consumer Products Maker **
By: Brent E. Johnson _
In the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file is the putative class action filed on September 2, 2016 against Standard Innovation (U.S.) Corp. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. N.P. v. Standard Innovation (US) Corp. d/b/a We-Vibe, Case No. 1:16-cv-08655, (N.D. Ill. Sept. 2, 2016). According to the complaint, Standard Innovation “is a ‘sensual lifestyle products’ company that sells a high-end vibrator called the We-Vibe.” The We-Vibe distinguishes itself from its competitors in the marketplace by its smart phone application – “We-Connect,” which can be downloaded from Apple App and Google Play stores. Why would one care to download such an application? According to the complaint, “With We-Connect, users can ‘pair’ their smartphone to the We-Vibe, allowing them — and their partners — remote control over the vibrator’s customizable settings and features” – bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase, “phone sex.” For those who like to teeter on the cutting edge, this technology is referred to as “teledildonics.” — Seriously.
The problem? According to the complaint, “Unbeknownst to its customers . . . Defendant designed We-Connect to (i) collect and record highly intimate and sensitive data regarding consumers’ personal We-Vibe use, including the date and time of each use and the selected vibration settings, and (ii) transmit such usage data — along with the user’s personal email address—to its servers in Canada.” While Americans may be jaded to the systematic gathering and exploitation of their personal information by internet companies for marketing purposes, this case asks the question: “Is our choice of the ‘pulse,’ ‘wave,’ ‘echo,’ ‘tide,’ ‘crest,’ ‘bounce,’ ‘surf,’ ‘peak,’ or ‘cha cha cha’ settings of our ‘sensual lifestyle products’ anybody’s business but our own (and our digital partner’s)?”
The complaint alleges causes of action for violation of the federal Wiretap Act, 18 U.S.C. § 2510, et seq.; the Illinois Eavesdropping Statute, 720 ILCS 5/14-1 et seq.; the common law tort of intrusion upon seclusion; and violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practice Act,815 ILCS 505/1 et seq. The eavesdropping claims are premised on the allegation that “Defendant designed and programmed We-Connect to continuously and contemporaneously intercept and monitor the contents of electronic communications that customers send to their We-Vibe devices from their smartphones, such as operational instructions regarding the users’ desired vibration intensity level and desired vibration ‘mode’ or pattern.” In other words, Standard Innovation intercepts communications between a user’s cell phone and his or her vibrator. Plaintiff’s consumer fraud claim arises from the “connect lover” feature of We-Connect that allows “partners [to] exchange text messages, engage in video chats, and . . . control a paired We-Vibe device.” When a device user initiates a We-Connect session, the screen encourages: “Connect and share control of your We-Vibe from anywhere. Create a secure connection between your smartphones.” The complaint alleges that this screen lulls the user into a false sense of security and fails to disclose Standard Innovation’s data collection practices.
The collection of personal data transmitted between devices through an application and representations regarding user privacy make this a “sexy” case – and one to watch.