Fitbit, a Google-owned fitness tech company, has agreed to part with $12.25 million in a settlement with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This settlement arises from a persistent defect with Fitbit’s Ionic smartwatch that reportedly resulted in skin burns to several customers.
The relevant complaints date back to 2018, with similar problems persisting into 2020. By March 2022, Fitbit consented to a product recall. The CPSC declared the wearables posed an “unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to consumers”. A 2020 software update, intended to rectify the problem, fell short according to the CPSC.
The commission stated, “Fitbit failed to immediately report the defect and its risks, despite having sufficient data to substantiate the products’ potential hazard.”
In the US, 115 consumers reported incidents stemming from the smartwatch’s overheating battery, leading to burn injuries in 78 instances, with some sustaining severe second- and third-degree burns.
In addition to the hefty fine, the settlement mandates that Fitbit sends an annual safety report to the commission and integrates firm internal controls and protocols to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The fitness tech giant must also bolster its compliance program per the settlement terms.
Original source: Read the full article on TechCrunch
