Fitbit can pay a civil penalty of $12.25 million after it “knowingly failed to immediately report” a defect in its Ionic smartwatches that prompted dozens of individuals to maintain burn accidents, the Shopper Product Security Fee (CPSC) stated Thursday.
Fitbit agreed to pay the penalty after reaching a settlement with the CPSC.
The fee introduced costs in opposition to the corporate for not following the regulation in reporting a defect that would create a product hazard or trigger danger of harm or loss of life.
Shoppers started reporting overheating points with the Ionic smartwatches to Fitbit in 2018. The studies continued into 2019 and 2020, with some shoppers telling the corporate that they sustained second- and third-degree burns on their arms or wrists from the defect.
In 2020, Fitbit launched a firmware replace to “mitigate the potential for battery overheating,” however it didn’t cease the issue and studies of burns continued to roll in.
“Despite possessing information that reasonably supported the conclusion that the smartwatches contained a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or created an unreasonable risk of serious injury, Fitbit did not immediately report to the Commission as required,” the CPSC stated.
Although Fitbit stopped producing the Ionic smartwatches in 2020, they have been recalled by the CPSC and Fitbit on March 2, 2022, impacting roughly 1.7 million models worldwide.
The recall said that there have been no less than 115 studies of the smartwatch’s battery overheating within the U.S., inflicting burn accidents to 78 Individuals. Two folks reported third-degree burns, whereas 4 reported second-degree burns.
As well as, there have been 59 studies of overheating made internationally inflicting burn accidents to 40 folks.
The settlement additionally requires Fitbit to “maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance.”
Fitbit additionally agreed to submit annual studies on its enhanced compliance program and inside controls, in addition to an inside audit on the effectiveness of compliance insurance policies, procedures, methods and coaching.
