Razer will shell out $1.1 million for “covid mask”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many technology brands launched protective masks against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This is the case of Razer, which will need to pay a million dollars in the United States for false claims involving the RGB Zephyr mask, which would be of the N95 type.

The agreement reached with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides for the company to provide refunds to all North American consumers who purchased the mask without proven effectiveness in filtering the covid-19 virus. This will generate an expense of US$1.1 million (around R$5.7 million). In addition, there is a fine of US$100,000 (R$519,000).

In the FTC’s understanding, Razer’s Zephyr mask was advertised in a misleading way, confusing consumers, as the product was not an N95 type mask and was not capable of protecting against Covid-19.

At the time of the decision, the company had already removed information without scientific evidence associated with the product on its platforms. This occurred in January 2022, when Razer was accused by YouTubers, such as Naomi Wu, of carrying out “deceptive marketing”.

Mask for covid

To understand the whole issue, it is worth remembering that, in the most critical moments of the pandemic, the recommendation was to use masks (or respirators) with good filtration capacity, such as the N95 mask in the USA and the PFF2 mask in Brazil.

In both cases, the effectiveness of the filtration capacity for particulate materials reaches 95% for particles larger than 0.3µm. This is much greater than the effectiveness of a cloth mask, for example.

As it is a very specific product, companies that want to sell N95 masks need to prove the product’s effectiveness through testing. Without this, it is as if the consumer is being deceived, taking a product home without proof of effectiveness or being counterfeit — and, during the Covid-19 pandemic, this could be disastrous.

In Brazil, PFF2 masks are approved by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro). Meanwhile, in the US, N95 regulation is handled by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh), part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What about Razer’s RGB Zephyr mask?

“Although Razer advertised Zephyr masks as N95, they never submitted them for testing to the FDA or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the masks were never certified as N95,” the FTC said in a statement.

Razer’s million-dollar deal in the US

Without any evidence, “these companies falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was equivalent to a certified N95 respirator,” points out Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Office of Consumer Protection.

“The FTC will continue to hold accountable companies that use false and unsubstantiated claims to target consumers making decisions about their health and safety,” adds Levine.

Razer Positioning

In a note sent to the North American website IGNRazer claimed that accepting the settlement with the FTC does not mean admitting that the company committed wrongdoing during the release of the Zephyr mask.

“We disagree with the FTC’s allegations and do not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement,” the statement said. “It was never our intention to mislead anyone and we have chosen to resolve this matter to avoid distractions and disruption from litigation and continue our focus on creating great products,” he adds.

Source: FTC and IGN

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