Razer Made a Million Dollars Selling an RGB Mask, and the FTC Isn’t Happy

Razer will have to shell out more than $1.1 million in refunds to customers who purchased its RGB-coated Zephyr face mask, according to a report. proposed agreement announced by 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 over the misleading claims.”

Razer also planned to release a $150 Zephyr Pro with a voice amplification feature, but that never came to fruition. At the time, Razer addressed the allegations 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 should not 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 that Razer never had it tested by the Food and Drug Administration or the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. On the edge reached out to Razer with a request for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

“These companies falsely claimed, in the midst of a global pandemic, that their face mask was equivalent to a certified N95 respirator,” said Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “The FTC will continue to hold accountable companies that use false and unsubstantiated claims to target consumers making decisions about their health and safety.”

The FTC’s proposed settlement also requires Razer to pay a $100,000 civil penalty and prohibits the company from making “false COVID-related health claims” and other “unsubstantiated health claims.” So if you bought one of these masks, you can get your money back.