Fitbit to Pay $12.5M Fine for Failing to Report Ionic Smartwatch Defect

January 27, 2025

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced on Friday, January 23, that Fitbit, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, has agreed to pay a $12.25 million civil penalty.

The CPSC charges that Fitbit knowingly failed to immediately report to the CPSC, as required by law, that its Ionic Smartwatches contained a defect that could create a substantial product hazard and 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 Smartwatch overheating when worn by consumers, causing some consumers to sustain burns, including second-degree and third-degree burns on their arms or wrists. SGB