Standard Innovation didn't have to admit wrongdoing as part of the deal, but it stresses that it has rethought both its privacy policy (which is now more explicit about data collection) and its app requirements. You no longer have to register your device or provide identifying info when using the mobile app, and you can opt out of sharing any anonymous data. Opt-in policies are usually better for privacy, but the moves should still help assuage customers worried that someone might be studying their most sensitive activities.

The lawsuit underscores the mounting concerns over connected devices and the information they share. We-Vibe and We-Connect were only supposed to be sending data for the sake of product improvement and diagnostics, but users were neither told about that nor reassured that their info wasn't going to be sold to advertisers or otherwise misused. Companies increasingly have little choice but to treat privacy as a significant concern, if not a primary concern -- if they don't, the consequences can be severe.