Future of Sex
tagline
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
  • Remote Sex
  • Virtual Sex & Entertainment
  • Robots
  • Human Augmentation
  • Sex Tech
  • Dating & Relationships
  • Bizarre Bazaar 18+
  • Future of Sex Community
Hot News

Dr. Olivia Lee’s Predictions: Solo Polyamory, AI Sexbots, and the Return of Romance

Future of Sex is supported by our readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Home > Remote Sex > Panic over Lovense App Recording User Sex Sessions Is ‘Uninformed,’ Says InfoSec Expert

Remote Sex
Home›Remote Sex›Panic over Lovense App Recording User Sex Sessions Is ‘Uninformed,’ Says InfoSec Expert

Panic over Lovense App Recording User Sex Sessions Is ‘Uninformed,’ Says InfoSec Expert

By Jenna Owsianik
November 13, 2017
4518
2

Is sensationalism getting the best of sex tech reporting?

An illustration of a person with a yellow top and with yellow hair and the text "Don't panic."

It all began on Reddit. A few days ago a user started a thread titled “PSA: Lovense remote control vibrator app recording ‘private’ sessions without express permission.”

In it the person explains how they found a six-minute .3gp file in the app folder. It was an ambient sound recording from the last time they’d used the app to remotely control their partner’s vibrator.

Since they hadn’t been using the in-app voice chat function, the user expressed shock. They then admitted they weren’t “tech savvy enough” to know whether such recordings were sent to Lovense, but assumed they were.

They weren’t, the official Lovense Reddit account soon replied, saying it was a “minor bug” affecting Android only and that “no information or data is sent to [their] servers.”

Lovense said that after using the Sound Control feature, a temporary file was created that didn’t delete itself after finishing a session. The file would overwrite itself with when reopening the Sound Control feature, meaning only the latest recording was saved.

According to Lovense, the Android “software bug” has been fixed. The file now deletes itself after exiting Sound Control. Also, upon restarting the app it performs a check to ensure the temporary audio file is deleted.

So it appears the issue has now been resolved. But perhaps not without causing some unnecessary reputational damage to the sex tech industry. And how serious was it that a temporary ambient sound recording was created in the first place?

Debunking the ‘conspiracy’

Brad Haines is an information security expert who launched the Internet of Dongs (IoD). The white-hat hacker regularly tests remote sex toys and their apps for vulnerabilities and privacy issues.

After a different Reddit user read the original post, they contacted Haines asking him to look into claims levied against Lovense. I recommend that you read Haines’s full blog post “Destroying the Reddit Lovense Remote Vuln Conspiracy,” in which he confirms no recordings were sent to Lovense and offers an analysis of what he thinks happened.

In the post, Haines also explains that the Sounds Control feature records ambient sound as part of its function to control a vibrator’s intensity. “The higher the ambient sounds, the higher the vibration strength,” he wrote. How else would this feature work if not by recording the user’s environment, Haines rightly asked.

Again, check out Haines’s software analysis to understand more about why he says the issue was overblown. However, one comment he made at the beginning of his post resonated with me in particular:

“…something could be the most boring thing on the planet, but the moment it’s associated with sex, it’s a sensation.”

Yup. Folks get all worked up about topics that are relatively benign when linked to sexual technology. Of course, consumers have the right to ask questions and it’s commendable when they want to actively seek knowledge in order to ensure their privacy.

But what is the media’s role in all of this? In particular, Haines is unimpressed with how The Verge reported on the Lovense app’s software issue, especially since the original Reddit user was upfront about their limited tech knowledge.

“The media picking up the post and reporting it nearly verbatim and bringing up other IoD vulnerabilities proven to be rife with errors and half truths just adds to the problem those of us trying to bring security to the consumers of these devices,” wrote Haines.

It’s hard to have productive conversations when the sensationalism of sex clouds the topic. Similar to how the mainstream media often publishes inaccuracies on the state of sex robots without doing due diligence to verify claims, it seems like teledildonics also isn’t getting the nuanced coverage it deserves.

Haines also brings up both the Reddit user’s and The Verge writer’s references to the We-Vibe class action lawsuit. He said this case has also not only been overblown, but is likely unfairly coloring people’s perception of sex tech developers.

“The assumption that there was a nefarious or malevolent purpose to the file is an indicator of a great many cognitive fallacies. The assertion that there is a ‘history’ is likely based on the We-vibe case. We’ve commented on it here before and once you get past the sensational headlines, you realise the lawsuit was a big deal about pretty much nothing.”

What do you think about the former “bug” found in the Lovense Remote app for Android and its coverage by the media? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Image source: geralt

Jenna Owsianik

Jenna Owsianik is a Canadian journalist and sex tech expert. Since 2014 she has been Editor-in-Chief of FutureofSex.net, the world’s leading publication on how technology is changing human sexuality, today and tomorrow.

Jenna is the primary author of the Future of Sex Report (2016).

Her expertise covers state-of-the-art sex technologies and the major fields driving innovations ... in intimacy: robotics, virtual reality, remote sex (teledildonics), immersive adult entertainment, human augmentation, virtual sex, and sexual health.

A trained journalist with a Masters of Journalism from The University of British Columbia, Jenna’s reporting has appeared on Futurism.com, Al Jazeera English, CTV British Columbia online, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS 60 Minutes, Global News, and CKNW Radio in Canada and the United States.

As a sex tech industry consultant, she is especially passionate about helping companies deliver accessible services and products to people with disabilities and other underserved communities.

Jenna also runs the sites SexforEveryBody.com, a sex-positive, body-positive online magazine that promotes inclusive sex education; and DisabledSexGuide.com, an adult resource on sex, disability, and erotica.

In 2013, Jenna won two Canadian Online Publishing Awards for her work on The Pain Project, a multimedia site on global access to palliative care.

She won second place at the 2011 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism’s Public Health category for her participation in the documentary Freedom From Pain.

Jenna has an Honors BA in Women’s Studies and Feminist Research as well as a French minor from The University of Western Ontario. She spent a year studying at L’Université Lumière Lyon 2 in Lyon, France.
  
Previous Article

These Are Your Responses to Coining a ...

Next Article

Can Virtual Reality Help Crush Fears over ...

Related articles More from author

  • Adult performers Angela White and Harli Lotts wear sliver dreses and hole an award in front of a purple background.
    VR PornRemote SexSex TechVirtual Sex & Entertainment

    Who Should Win the Sex Tech Categories at the AVN Awards? (And Who Won at XBIZ)

    January 27, 2018
    By Future of Sex
  • Vibease smart vibrator
    Remote Sex

    Meet Him, an Artificially Intelligent Lover Inspired by the Film ‘Her’

    September 30, 2015
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • A new vibrator can be controlled by Apple Watch.
    Remote Sex

    Sexing Up Apple Watch: New G-Spot Vibrator Designed for Discreet Public Play

    August 18, 2015
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • The Lovense Twitter orgy returns on New Year's Eve and will run for 26 hours.
    Remote Sex

    Lovense Orgy Returns for New Year’s Eve Sex Party

    December 31, 2021
    By Jenna Owsianik
  • Stay Intimately Connected with Socially Isolating
    Dating & RelationshipsRemote Sex

    4 Ways to Keep Intimacy Alive with Remote Tech

    May 5, 2020
    By M. Christian
  • 1200Skinterface
    Remote Sex

    Long-distance Loving Could Feel Real with Skinterface Touch Technology

    June 8, 2016
    By Antony Scholefield

2 comments

  1. Kiteh Kawasaki 19 December, 2017 at 15:05 Log in to Reply

    Lovense is HOT I use it for my online Camshows all the time !!

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • Robots

    New Territories but Rusty Spurs: A Review of HBO’s Westworld

  • Taylor Sparks of Sisters of Sexuality Collective
    Sex Tech

    How Womxn of Color-run Collectives Are Disrupting Sextech

  • Multiplayer Online Sex Games
    Virtual Sex & EntertainmentVirtual Sex

    Revue: Les Meilleurs Jeux de Sexe en Ligne Massivement Multijoueurs

Virtual Lust is a 3D interactive sex game.
3DXChat
Discover the best virtual sex parties and 3D sex worlds.
  • TOP REVIEWS

  • Harmony ai sex doll from RealDoll

    State of the Sexbot Market: The World’s Best Sex Robot and AI Sex Doll Companies ...

  • Realistic Sex Games

    Review of the Best Sex Games and Most Realistic Sex Simulators [UPDATED]

    0
  • Screenshot of a sexbot from adult entertainment game

    The Best Adult Games on Steam [UPDATED]

  • Screenshot of FeelConnect app future of interactivity intimacy available on Apple and Google Store

    The Best Sex Game Apps for Couples [UPDATED]

  • Project QT is the most popular RPG sex game at hentai sex game portal Nutaku.

    The Best RPG Sex Games [UPDATED]

Fantasy sex game Dream Sex World lets you explore your wildest desires.
Multiplayer sex world Red Light Center continues to impress with its massive userbase and incredible sex graphics.
A blonde and light-skinned love doll face sppears next to the text Go now realdollxthe future is real.

Like Us on Facebook

Newsletter Subscription

Sign up for our monthly newsletter sharing the very best of the future of sex from our publication and others across the web.

DreamSexWorld offers a stunning XXX 3D world filled with incredibly interactive erotic experiences.

Like Us On Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

RLC_ad_v2

Tweets by @FutureofSex
Future of Sex Report

Follow us

  • Home
  • About
  • ADVERTISE
  • Contribute
  • Story Ideas
  • Sitemap
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© 2011 - 2022 Future Exploration Network
This website or its third-party tools use cookies to improve user experience and track affiliate sales. To learn more about why we need to use cookies, please refer to the Privacy Policy.

By clicking the agree button or continuing to browse through the website, you agree to the use of cookies. Accept Privacy Policy
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT