The Federal Trade Commission fined Razer million on Tuesday. The order alleges that the manufacturer of gaming accessories misled consumers by claiming that his eye-catching Zephyr mask was certified as N95 class.
“These companies falsely claimed in the midst of a global pandemic that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95-certified respirator,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC Bureau of Consumer Projection, noted in a statement. “The FTC will continue to hold companies accountable that use false and unsubstantiated claims to target consumers making decisions about their health and safety.”
Razer has predictably resisted the commission’s claims.
“We disagree with the FTC’s allegations and have not admitted any wrongdoing as part of the settlement,” a company representative told TechCrunch in a statement. “It was never our intention to mislead anyone and we have decided to settle this matter to avoid the distraction and interruption of litigation and to continue to focus on creating great products for gamers. Razer cares deeply about our community and is always striving to provide technology in new and relevant ways.”
The company further suggested that the complaint was from Cherrypicked, adding that it had done everything possible to refund customers and end the sale of the Zephyr.
“The Razer Zephyr was designed to provide the community with a different and innovative option for face covering,” it says. “The FTC’s claims against Razer concerned limited portions of some statements regarding the Zephyr. More than two years ago, Razer proactively informed customers that the Zephyr was not an N95 mask, stopped sales and refunded customers money.”
The FTC also officially prohibits the sale of the mask and “makes COVID-related health-related misrepresentations or unsubstantiated health-related claims about health protection equipment. “It goes one step further” and prohibits the defendants from presenting the health benefits, performance, efficacy, safety or side effects of protective goods and services (as defined in the proposed order), unless they have competent and reliable scientific evidence to support the claims.”
The filing suggests that Razer intentionally misled consumers into believing that the mask would protect against COVID. Certainly, the virus was very important when the product was first launched on the market in October 2021.
The resolution is currently awaiting the approval and signature of a district judge.
