Sex toys are being supercharged by hackers

You may have seen a lot of devices being hacked. You may have seen PCs, smartphones and even smart speakers being hacked. However, what you might not have heard of is sex toys being hacked. Hackers are playing with sex toys and changing their settings at random.

It is interesting to note that some hackathons are actually taking place under the aegis of sex toy companies. All this while some hackers are working independently, to gather sensitive data and non-consensual control of sex toys. Sex toys are increasingly connected with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth which makes them susceptible to hacking over the air.

But why are hackers aiming for sex toys? According to the SEXTECHGUIDE, they simply want to increase the user's pleasure. They also want to develop a better understanding of how sex toys function and how they affect users.

According to sex tech enthusiast Sabrina Verhage, "Hacking your vibrator can be a great way to start exploring technology to understand how sex tech that you've been using actually works."

There is also a belief that sex toys are throttled to underperform. Hackers believe by hacking, they can make people pleasure even more than sex toy companies want them to have.

For technology educationalist Alice Stewart, hacking can also provide a personalised experience. It can create a do-it-yourself sexual experience. One setting does not suit all. And, for some users, a more personalised experience is necessary. Hacking may also allow users to study the inner workings of these devices.

It is expected to make users more and not less secure, according to Brazilian product designer Esther Angelo. "Electronic sex toys that we put inside of us, phones that we let into our beds under our pillows... there's a big trust that tech companies will make objects safe, [and all we can do is] hope that's the case," she said, talking about how closely we deal with tech objects.

The vibrator hacking community is ever-expanding and is more inclined towards experimentation. However, there have been no complaints yet regarding increased pleasure.

The question of consent is another matter.