Fitbit has been fined $12.25 million by the US government for not promptly reporting known risks of overheating batteries in its smartwatches. The Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed that Fitbit received burn reports in 2018 but delayed notifying them until a recall was issued in 2022. Although the incidents were limited, the company was aware of the potential hazards and attempted a software update in 2020 to fix the issue, which failed. Google acquired Fitbit in early 2021, yet the recall took over a year, blurring accountability for the oversight.
"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."
"While there weren't too many incidents related to the bad batteries - 115 reports of overheating Ionics in the US, with 78 reports of burn injuries - the CPSC said Fitbit was well aware of the problem well before the recall."
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