The Federal Trade Commission has fined Razer, a manufacturer of gaming peripherals, over $1.1 million for allegedly misleading customers about its RGB face mask.
The FTC said the fine Razer must pay is part of a proposed settlement regarding the misrepresentation of the Zephyr RGB mask. The settlement notes that Razer allegedly claimed its Zephyr mask used N95-grade filters. However, the agency alleges Razer never submitted the mask for testing and that the gaming hardware maker only "stopped the false advertising following negative press coverage and consumer outrage at the deceptive claims."
"These businesses falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95 certified respirator," FTC Director of Bureau of Consumer Protection Sam Levine said. "The FTC will continue to hold accountable businesses that use false and unsubstantiated claims to target consumers making decisions about their health and safety."
The FTC also alleged that Razer made misleading statements about the mask on social media and Zephyr's product listing pages. It claimed Razer has never had its mask tested by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). In an email, a NIOSH spokesperson told IGN that the Razer Zephyr had "not been evaluated or approved" by the agency.
"We disagree with the FTC's allegations and did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement," a Razer spokesperson told IGN. "It was never our intention to mislead anyone, and we chose to settle this matter to avoid the distraction and disruption of litigation and continue our focus on creating great products for gamers. Razer cares deeply about our community and is always looking to deliver technology in new and relevant ways."
The Razer Zephyr is an RGB face mask initially revealed as a concept at CES 2021 before the company announced a few months later that it was making an actual product. Razer touted the Zephyr as a "smart" mask with RGB lighting that used N95 grade filters, meaning it would filter 95% of airborne particles. The product garnered popularity at the time as wearing masks in public was still a thing, and its transparent panel allowed others to see facial expressions or read lips more easily.
Up until January 2022, the Razer Zephyr's marketing noted that its proprietary filters were "N95-grade filters," however, the company removed any reference to "N95 Grade" from its product listing page following the announcement of the unreleased Zephyr Pro – and some public backlash most notably by YouTuber Naomi Wu.
I love how @Razer's lovingly astroturfed press releases are recited verbatim by tech "reporters" with no technical qualifications to speak of who fail to mention the revised mask still provides practically no protection what so ever?
— Naomi Wu 机械妖姬 (@RealSexyCyborg) January 6, 2022
They know who pays their bills at least... https://t.co/mFiCATSgKE
Yet in the following years since Razer Zephyr received scrutiny, the company scrubbed any mention of the product on its website, including stealth editing the press release recap for RazerCon 2021, the same event where the Zephyr was a marquee product, which included its pricing and release date. A Razer spokesperson also told IGN via email that "more than two years ago, the company "stopped sales and refunded customers," however, it did not elaborate on who got refunds or how it notified customers who purchased one that they were getting a refund.
As part of the FTC's settlement, Razer is required to pay a civil penalty of $100,000. The settlement also bans Razer from making "COVID-related health misrepresentations" and other "unsubstantiated health claims" until it first receives approval from the FDA.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
