Razer
will
have
to
fork
over
$1.1
million
in
refunds
to
customers
who
purchased
its
RGB-clad
Zephyr
face
mask,
according
to
a
proposed
settlement
announced
by
the
Federal
Trade
Commission
on
Monday.
The
company
claimed
the
face
mask
used
N95-grade
filters,
but
the
FTC
alleges
Razer
never
submitted
them
for
testing
and
only
“stopped
the
false
advertising
following
negative
press
coverage
and
consumer
outrage
at
the
deceptive
claims.”
Razer
first
released
its
Zephyr
face
mask
in
2021
as
a
nifty,
cyberpunk-esque
alternative
to
traditional
face
masks
worn
during
the
covid-19
pandemic.
Although
Razer
initially
marketed
the
$100
mask
as
having
N95-grade
filters,
it
scrubbed
any
mention
of
the
grade
after
YouTuber
Naomi
Wu
tore
down
the
mask
and
found
that
it
wasn’t
N95
certified
after
all.
N95
masks
are
supposed
to
filter
out
at
least
95
percent
of
airborne
particles,
according
to
the
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention.
Razer
also
planned
on
launching
a
$150
Zephyr
Pro
with
a
voice
amplification
feature,
but
that
never
panned
out.
At
the
time,
Razer
addressed
claims
about
its
Zephyr
masks,
saying
in
a
post
on
X
that
“the
Razer
Zephyr
and
Zephyr
Pro
are
not
medical
devices,
respirators,
surgical
masks,
or
personal
protective
equipment
(PPE)
and
are
not
meant
to
be
used
in
medical
or
clinical
settings.”
The
FTC
alleges
that
Razer
made
misleading
statements
about
the
mask
on
social
media
and
product
pages
and
also
claims
Razer
never
had
it
tested
by
the
Food
and
Drug
Administration
or
the
National
Institute
for
Occupational
Safety
and
Health.
The
Verge
reached
out
to
Razer
with
a
request
for
comment
but
didn’t
immediately
hear
back.
“These
businesses
falsely
claimed,
in
the
midst
of
a
global
pandemic,
that
their
face
mask
was
the
equivalent
of
an
N95
certified
respirator,”
Samuel
Levine,
the
director
of
the
FTC’s
Bureau
of
Consumer
Protection,
said
in
a
statement.
“The
FTC
will
continue
to
hold
accountable
businesses
that
use
false
and
unsubstantiated
claims
to
target
consumers
who
are
making
decisions
about
their
health
and
safety.”
The
FTC’s
proposed
settlement
also
requires
Razer
to
pay
a
civil
penalty
of
$100,000
and
bans
the
company
from
making
“COVID-related
health
misrepresentations”
and
other
“unsubstantiated
health
claims.”
So,
if
you
purchased
one
of
these
masks,
you
might
be
getting
your
money
back.
Original author: Emma Roth
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