The Razer Zephyr face mask might have looked cool–especially for Bane stans–but it wasn’t protecting you from contracting COVID-19 to the degree Razer claimed. As such, the US Federal Trade Commission has come to a proposed settlement with the company that will see the peripheral maker paying over $1 million in fines.
PCGamesN reported that the main issue was Razer advertising the Zephyr product as a N95-grade face mask, which means it would remove 95% of airborne particles. That wasn’t the case. “These businesses falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was the equivalent of an N95 certified respirator,” said the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection director Samuel Levine in a press release.
In early 2021, Razer unveiled the Zephyr face mask as a N95 concept product that also featured RGB lighting. Shortly thereafter, the company confirmed it was moving forward with making the accessory, with the Zephyr officially launching in October 2021 for a starting price of $99. There were also packs of filters being sold for the face mask, with 10 costing $30.
However, just a few short months later in January 2022, Razer removed the N95-grade claims about the Zephyr face mask. Additionally, the company scrubbed a website FAQ section that originally referred to the face mask as a medical device.
Razer sent the following response to PCGamesN about the settlement: “We disagree with the FTC’s allegations and did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. 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.”
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