Without the knowledge of their customers, a sex toy company was fined CA$4 million (£2.4 million) for tracking their usage.

In 2017, We-Vibe, a Canadian brand, settled a lawsuit by agreeing to pay up to CA$10,000 (£6,120) per customer for selling "smart vibrators" that monitored their usage.

The parent company of the sex toy manufacturer, Standard Innovation, faced a class action lawsuit in Illinois. It was decided that the company would pay a total of CA$4 million, with compensation of up to CA$10,000 for customers who had used the associated app along with the vibrator, and CA$199 (£118) for those who had only purchased the sex toy.

The We-Vibe 4 Plus was the specific sex toy under scrutiny, which was priced at £90 and enabled remote control through an app accessible from any location globally.

A description of the item read: "Touch the screen to control the vibrations and build intensity. Tease and please with custom vibes you create.

"Turn on your lover when you connect and play together from anywhere in the world. Build excitement with secure in-app voice, chat and video."

Nevertheless, it came to light that the app was gathering and transmitting information back to Standard Innovation, such as usage frequency and intensity levels. This provided a comprehensive log of the user's private behaviors.

Based on legal records, approximately 300,000 individuals acquired Bluetooth-capable WeVibe merchandise, with approximately one-third of them utilizing the associated application.

Standard Innovation emphasized that the data had solely been utilized for "diagnostic purposes."

A female customer, who intended to use the vibrator with her long-distance partner, informed the Daily Mirror in 2017 that the entire ordeal was "appalling."

She said: "I thought I was sharing something with my partner that was private between us two. I didn't even think for one second that it was giving information to the company."

"It's not just the fact they did it without our knowing, it's what they actually collected - it's personal, it's like giving someone your preferences in bed, what turns you on, and they measured that."

"It's appalling. It's ridiculous that they thought they could do that."

Standard Innovation issued a statement during that period, stating: "At Standard Innovation we take customer privacy and data security seriously. We have enhanced our privacy notice, increased app security, provided customers [with] more choice in the data they share, and we continue to work with leading privacy and security experts to enhance the app."

"With this settlement, Standard Innovation can continue to focus on making new, innovative products for our customers."