Cover photo source Unsplash.
Porn-inspired video games, exercise sex “games,” and real-feeling silicone male and female sex dolls.
The growing market for porn-influenced tech today leaves many consumers asking, “What will they think of next?” Well, it’s usually something pretty shocking—and this latest product is no exception.
A UK-based sex toy company recently released its latest creation, The C—k Cam (censorship ours), and it’s, well…exactly what it sounds like: a device intended for partner objectification that reduces sexual encounters to dehumanizing recorded penetration instead of a holistic experience with an intimate partner.
Classy. But this is where porn culture has gotten us.
What is it?
This silicone “ring with a camera” can be worn on a male’s penis to record video. With a built-in microphone, night vision, a rechargeable battery, and a slot for a micro SD card, it can record up to 90 minutes of video—but do these capabilities also mean users can film during sexual encounters without their partner knowing? We think it’s a horrifying possibility, especially given the night vision option.
Related: Experts Say The Virtual Reality Porn Industry Will Be Worth $1 Billion By 2025
Plus, it features WiFi compatibility for live-streaming and a companion app that allows users to view and share their videos—in other words, something that could easily be hacked or streamed to porn sites?
This is just one of a growing assortment of sex toys available with an internet connection. But what’s most concerning is that this toy uses the internet to live-stream and record actual video—not just for remote controls or user statistics.
According to independent researcher Sarah Jamie Lewis, “While sextech is a pretty niche area right now, it seems obvious that will see more innovation in the space…sadly the groundwork being laid down right now is repeating many of the mistakes that the general internet-of-things domain has made—security/privacy is an afterthought.”
Related: True Story: A Hacker Secretly Streamed My Phone Camera To A Porn Site
The fact is, it’s actually pretty easy for hackers to access footage on “secure” platforms. Plus, sex toy manufacturers often sell products that collect data on their users via an internet connection and fail to keep that information private—like sex toy company We-Vibe who recently settled a $3.75 million lawsuit after uploading user statistics to the cloud without their consent.
Tech like this wouldn’t exist without porn
You might be wondering, “Who would actually buy this?” Many of the reactions to news stories and tweets about this device have been mocking disbelief, but the fact is, tech like this wouldn’t exist if there wasn’t a demand for it.
And where does that demand come from? You guessed it: porn.
Porn has significantly changed over the last decade, and much of what’s on mainstream sites today are low-budget, amateur videos. Given the research behind how people often seek out more extreme pornographic content in order to get the same thrill it’s not difficult to see how the more they consume “realistic” porn fantasies, they more they could crave seemingly “real” content.
Related: Popular K-Pop Stars Have Been Caught Filming And Distributing Spy Cam Porn
In fact, there’s an increasing demand for violent or harmful porn fantasies that either appear or actually are real—like rape, incest or even explicit images sent between intimate partners and later leaked online.
Basically, much of what mainstream porn looks like today could very well be something a person records at home. Plus, the porn industry profits off of violating peoples privacy. Enter: sex tech and personal cameras. See the connection?
Porn inspires more than technology—it shapes sexuality
Research shows that porn can have a powerful influence on people’s sexual tastes —meaning what we fantasize about, get aroused by, view as acceptable, and expect from sexual experiences.
In today’s digital age of synthetic intimacy, porn and technology are replacing sex for some people. It’s not difficult to see how, on a smaller scale, porn could influence consumers to prefer recording, watching , and sharing their sexual encounters over being present in the moment and enjoying the experience with their partner in a healthy, intimate way.
Related: How Our Tech-Fueled World Makes It Too Easy To Get Obsessed With Porn
What consumers view in porn is unrealistic, often violent, and harmful. This negatively impacts individuals, relationships, and society—especially when consumers can be influenced to act out these fantasies. And today’s porn-fueled sex tech culture encourages users to do just that—now while wearing their own personal camera.
Porn is paving the way for new tech and shaping the fantasies and expectations for this generation and the next. But we don’t have to sit back passively and watch it happen—we can fight for healthy, consensual, sexual relationships instead.
