Fitbit has agreed to pay a $12.25 million fine after safety concerns surrounding its Ionic smartwatches, which were recalled in 2022 due to reports of overheating lithium-ion batteries.
Some incidents reportedly caused burns to users. The settlement has been provisionally approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which worked with Fitbit to recall 1.7 million Ionic watches after receiving 115 complaints of overheating. Among these, 78 cases involved burn injuries, with four leading to second-degree burns and two causing third-degree burns.
Despite receiving complaints as early as 2018, and continuing through 2019 and 2020, Fitbit allegedly failed to report the issues to the CPSC promptly.
This was despite a firmware update in 2020 aimed at addressing the problem. According to the agency, Fitbit did not comply with mandatory reporting requirements under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
The recall specifically targeted Fitbit Ionic watches, but some users have alleged that similar issues exist with other Fitbit devices. In 2023, a group of consumers filed a lawsuit against Google, Fitbit’s parent company, claiming that all Fitbit devices suffered from battery-related defects that could lead to overheating and potential fire hazards. The lawsuit also accused Fitbit of deflecting blame onto “consumer hygiene” and ignoring customer complaints, with reports of Fitbit’s support team failing to respond to users who raised concerns about their devices.
As part of the settlement, Fitbit will now be required to implement stricter internal controls to ensure that its products comply with safety regulations and reporting standards.
