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Fitbit must pay a civil penalty of $12.25 million for willfully failing to promptly report its malfunction. ionic smartwatch The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said on Thursday that dozens of people were burnt due to this.
Fitbit agreed to pay the fine after reaching a settlement with the CPSC.
The Commission brought charges against the company for not following the law in reporting a defect that could pose a danger to the product or cause injury or death.
Fitbit recalls 1.7M smartwatches due to burning risk
Fitbit has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $12.25 after reaching a settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which accused the company of not reporting a known defect in its Ionic smartwatch. (Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Consumers began reporting overheating issues with Ionic smartwatches to Fitbit in 2018. Reports continued into 2019 and 2020, with some consumers telling the company they sustained second and third degree injuries. irritation on their arms or wrists By fault.
In 2020, Fitbit launched a firmware update to “reduce the possibility of battery overheating”, but this did not stop the problem and reports of burnouts continued.
The CPSC said, “Despite having information that reasonably supports the conclusion that the smartwatch had a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or create an unreasonable risk of serious injury, Fitbit promptly filed a report to the Commission.” “Didn’t.”
There were 118 reports of burns from the Fitbit Ionic worldwide – 78 in the United States and 40 elsewhere. (Consumer Product Safety Commission/Fox News)
Fitbit users will be required to log in through Google by 2025
Although Fitbit stopped producing Ionic smartwatches in 2020 Recalled by CPSC and Fitbit on March 2, 2022 – affecting approximately 1.7 million units worldwide.
The recall said there were at least 115 reports in the United States of smartwatch batteries overheating, causing burns to 78 Americans. Two people reported third-degree burns, while four reported second-degree burns.
Fitbit and the CPSC jointly recalled the Ionic smartwatch in 2022, affecting 1.7 million units worldwide. (Consumer Product Safety Commission/Fox News)
Additionally, 59 reports of extreme heat were recorded internationally, leaving 40 people with burns.
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The settlement also requires Fitbit to “maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance.”
Fitbit also agreed to submit an annual report on its enhanced compliance program and internal controls, as well as an internal audit on the effectiveness of compliance policies, procedures, systems, and training.
