Fitbit settled. The settlement with the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has seen the Google-owned fitness company pay $12.25 million in fines for problems surrounding its Ionic smartwatch, after a long-running defeat that left some wearers sustaining burns.
The issue started in 2018 and continued till 2020. Fitbit agreed. Remember wearables. In March 2022, the CPSC noted that it “created a risk of serious injury or death to consumers.”
According to the CPSC, a firmware update released in early 2020 failed to completely fix the problem.
“Even though Fitbit possessed data that reasonably supported a conclusion that the smartwatches contained a defect that posed a substantial product risk or posed an unreasonable risk of harm, Fitbit did not immediately report it to the Commission as required,” the organization noted.
115 US users reported an issue with the smartwatch's battery overheating. Seventy-eight people were burned, two third-degree and four second-degree burns.
The agreement also requires Fitbit to submit an annual report to the commission, along with an internal audit of safety operations. The agreement “requires Fitbit to maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).”