Yesterday’s unanimous vote to hold Fitbit LLC (Fitbit) accountable for putting the public at risk, reflects CPSC’s commitment to – and success in – holding companies responsible who continue to sell dangerous products despite knowing those products can cause serious injury or death. 

In this case, Fitbit did not immediately report to the Commission after receiving numerous reports that its Ionic smartwatches were overheating when being worn, causing some consumers to sustain burns including second-degree and third-degree burns on their arms or wrists. Under the proposed settlement agreement, Fitbit would pay $12.25 million for allegedly violating the Consumer Product Safety Act by failing to immediately report this issue.

I am proud to say that this was the last vote that I took as Chair of the CPSC. Under my leadership, CPSC assessed more than $125 million in civil penalty payments to the U.S. Treasury, more than during any other comparable period in the agency’s history. This is no small feat, and our actions send a loud and clear warning to companies that CPSC will act when companies do not report. I hope that the agency continues to hold companies accountable that violate product safety laws. I thank CPSC’s staff for their hard work, diligence, and commitment to improving consumer product safety.

* The views expressed in this statement are solely the views of Commissioner Hoehn-Saric and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission.