Fitbit has agreed to pay a $12.25 million penalty following issues with its Ionic smartwatch, which reportedly caused burns due to an overheating battery. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) revealed that 115 U.S. consumers reported incidents involving the smartwatch's battery overheating, leading to injuries for some wearers. This problem persisted from 2018 until 2020, with 78 individuals reporting burns, including two cases of third-degree and four cases of second-degree burns.
The CPSC's investigation into the matter found that Fitbit was at fault for not adequately addressing the defect. Despite releasing a firmware update in early 2020, the issue lingered, prompting Fitbit to recall the device in March 2022. The CPSC indicated that the smartwatch "created an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to consumers."
"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," – U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
As part of the settlement with the CPSC, Fitbit will also be required to implement additional safety measures and submit an annual report detailing an internal audit of safety operations. These steps aim to prevent similar issues in the future and ensure consumer safety.
The recall announced in March 2022 highlighted the severity of the situation and marked a significant step towards addressing consumer concerns. This recall was necessary after two years of ongoing issues that resulted in injuries, despite earlier attempts to resolve them through software updates.
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