Fitbit’s Ionic Smartwatch reportedly overheated in 2018 and continues to overheat in 2020. However US officers say the corporate didn’t rapidly report, as required by legislation, that the battery contained in the watch posed an unreasonable danger of great harm or dying to customers.
On Thursday, the US Client Security Fee introduced that Fitbit had agreed to pay a $12.25 million civil penalty for its delay in reporting that the lithium-ion battery within the watch may overheat, posing a burn hazard.
The Fee famous that firstly of 2020 Fitbit has issued a firmware replace to cut back the potential for the battery to overheat as customers continued to report struggling burns from the watch. However Fitbit did not voluntarily recall the Ion smartwatch till March 2, 2022.
Till then, the Fee mentioned Fitbit had acquired not less than 174 studies worldwide of the lithium-ion battery overheating, leading to 118 reported accidents, together with two circumstances of third-degree burns and 4 of second-degree burns.
“Fitbit should instantly report quite a few incidents of overheating, together with second and third diploma burns,” Commissioner Wealthy Trumka Jr. mentioned in an announcement. “As a substitute, Fitbit broke the legislation by delaying its reporting, leaving customers susceptible to burnout.” Many of those accidents may have been prevented. “
In an announcement Friday, a Fitbit spokesperson mentioned, “Buyer security continues to be our high precedence, and we’re happy to resolve this matter with the CPSC arising from the 2022 voluntary recall of the Fitbit Ionic.”
About a million of the units, which monitor exercise, coronary heart charge and sleep, have been offered in america as of September 2017. by December 2021, with an extra 693,000 offered worldwide. Fitbit mentioned harm studies account for lower than 0.01 p.c of all Ion watches offered. The corporate discontinued the Ionic in 2020, based on the Client Fee.
Throughout the 2022 retreat. house owners have been supplied $299 after returning their Ion watches and receiving a reduction code for choose Fitbit units, based on Client Fee.
As a part of the settlement settlement, Fitbit agreed to submit an annual report, together with updates on the effectiveness of its up to date compliance insurance policies.
Google bought Fitbit for $2.1 billion in early 2021 after agreeing to not use well being and wellness information Fitbit has created to focus on advertisements to Web customers.
In 2014, Fitbit recalled Greater than one million of his energy wristbands after prospects complained of extreme pores and skin irritation.
However the firm is avoided Recalling its versatile wristbands later that yr, following related complaints, by including a nickel allergy warning and sizing tips to stop customers from carrying the wristbands too tightly.
