Fitbit to Pay $12.25M in Fines for Delayed Disclosure of Watch Defect
San Francisco-based Fitbit will pay a $12.25 million civil penalty as part of a settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission for delays in alerting CPSC of a defect that allegedly caused second- and third-degree burns for some users, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published Jan. 27.
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Fitbit had imported and distributed about 1.02 million Fitbit Ionic smartwatches between 2017 and 2021. From 2018 to 2020, the company received numerous reports of the watches overheating while being worn, with some consumers sustaining burns on their arms or wrists. Fitbit issued a firmware update in early 2020 but continued to receive reports of burns, the notice said.
CPSC and Fitbit issued a recall of the watches in March 2022. However, Fitbit didn't immediately alert the CPSC about the defect before the recall, thus violating regulatory code and prompting the civil penalties.