Fitbit to pay $12 million for failing to report burn injuries

Fitbit pays $12 million for failing to report burn injury hazard to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as required by federal law. Photo via CPSC

The company failed to report a burn injury hazard

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is announcing that Fitbit LLC, of San Francisco, California, has agreed to pay a $12.25 million civil penalty.

The settlement, which has been provisionally accepted by CPSC, resolves CPSC’s charges that Fitbit knowingly failed to immediately report to CPSC, as required by law, that its Ionic smartwatches contained a defect that could create a substantial product hazard and created an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death to consumers.

During 2018 and 2019 and continuing into 2020, Fitbit received numerous reports of the Ionic smartwatches overheating while being worn by consumers, causing some consumers to sustain burns including second-degree and third-degree burns on their arms or wrists. 

Issued a firmware update

In early 2020, Fitbit initiated a firmware update to lessen the potential for battery overheating; however, Fitbit continued to receive reports of consumers suffering burns due to the product overheating.   

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 the problem to the commission as required. 

The commission and Fitbit jointly announced a recall of the Ionic smartwatches on March 2, 2022. The recall stated that the firm had received at least 115 reports in the United States of the battery in the smartwatch overheating, with 78 reports of burn injuries in the United States including two reports of third-degree burns and four reports of second-degree burns.

In addition to the $12.25 million civil penalty, the settlement agreement requires Fitbit to maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), including enhancements made to its compliance program. 

Fitbit has also agreed to submit an annual report regarding its compliance program, internal controls, and internal audit of the effectiveness of compliance policies, procedures, systems and training.

About Fitbit

Acquired by Google in 2021 for about $2 billion, Fitbit is a well-known brand of wearable technology devices that track health and fitness data.

What they are:

  • Activity trackers and smartwatches: Most Fitbits are wrist-worn devices that look like watches or bands.

  • Health and fitness focus: They use sensors to track various metrics like steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, heart rate, sleep patterns, and more.

  • Data syncing: Fitbits connect to smartphones or computers via Bluetooth to sync data to the Fitbit app, where users can view detailed information and track progress over time.

  • Variety of models: Fitbit offers a range of devices with different features, styles, and price points to cater to various needs and preferences.