Ikea will pay $46 million to parents of toddler rushed to death by a dresser
January 6, 2020, The New York Times
The Swedish furniture retailer Ikea agreed to pay a $46 million settlement ihttps://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/01/next-wave-consumer-advocacy/
n a wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the parents of a California toddler who was crushed to death by a popular dresser model that had been recalled after at least five other children were killed. On Monday, a lawyer for Joleen and Craig Dudek, whose son, Jozef, was killed in May 2017, announced the settlement, which was confirmed by an Ikea spokeswoman.
Consumer Reports: New bill would allow prompt public disclosure of product safety risks
January 9, 2020 Consumer Reports.org
The Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency that oversees thousands of consumer goods, is typically bound by law to stay mum unless the manufacturer of the unsafe product agrees to when and how the news comes out. If the CPSC wants to alert the public and the manufacturer doesn’t agree, the manufacturer can sue the agency—so the agency typically keeps quiet. A new bill, introduced in Congress today by U.S. Representative Bobby L.Rush (D-Ill) seeks to change that.
‘I Honestly Don’t Trust Many People at Boeing’: A Broken Culture Exposed
January 10, 2020, The New York Times
The steady drip of bad news and embarrassing revelations from Boeing— culminating in Thursday’s release of 117 pages of damning internal communications — has revealed something more disturbing than one poorly designed plane. The very culture at Boeing appears to be broken, with some senior employees having little regard for regulators, customers and even co-workers.
The next wave of consumer advocacy
January, 2020, World Economic Forum
Over time, consumer rights, legislation, standards bodies, watchdogs, testing, labelling and information schemes established an organized consumer protection foundation. With grass-roots networks and international presence, consumer advocates kept up pressure on companies who exploited poorer consumers, polluted rivers or damaged air quality. They represented and supported consumers, building alert systems that stopped the importing of banned, hazardous products into new markets. They brought consumers directly into the process of standards-building at local and international levels, developed collaborative international testing protocols, and brought together consumer policymakers across borders to address wrongs.
CPSC warns consumers of serious tip-over hazard posed by Hodedah-hi4dr-4 drawer dressers
January 8, 2020, CPSC.gov
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers to anchor Hodedah HI4DR four-drawer dressers to the wall or to place the dressers where children cannot get near them. CPSC intends to continue pressing the case for a recall with Hodedah. CPSC tested the Hodedah HI4DR dresser and found that it is unstable and can tip over if not anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injuries to children or even death.
What does the future of play look like: Tech driven toys at CES offer a glimpse
January 9, 2020, The Nevada Independent
Past a robotic litter box, rows of massage chairs, automated beverage dispensers and too many smart-home systems to count, a high-tech spin on a traditional toy snagged the attention of some Consumer Electronic Show passersby. Attendees clutched the tiny spacecraft — made from a cardboard cutout and decorated with markers — and guided them through the air. Thanks to a magnetic insert, the spacecraft’s journey appeared on a tablet in a video game-like presentation. The person’s hand movements controlled the vehicle’s destiny.
The unintended consequences of YouTube’s new ad policy for kids’ videos
January 9, 2020, Northeastern University
YouTube announced changes to its advertising policies for children viewing videos on the site. The changes are designed to protect against the collection of children’s personal information, but may have unintended consequences, says Northeastern assistant professor Keith Smith: Reducing the overall amount of content available for children and pushing them to streaming sites that are less child-friendly. YouTube officials say the company will ban all targeted advertising on videos
Going Old School: CPSC issues rare safety warning on dressers
January 9, 2020, The National Law Review
In an uncommon move, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Wednesday issued a unilateral press release warning consumers of the need to anchor a particular brand and model of dressers. In its release, the CPSC wrote that it “intends to continue pressing the case for a recall with” the manufacturer.
House votes to designate PFAS forever chemicals as hazardous substances
January 10, 2020, cleveland.com
The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed legislation that would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate so-called PFAS “forever chemicals” linked to numerous diseases as hazardous substances. It also calls for the EPA to set safety standards for the presence of the chemicals in drinking water, and to give grants that would help water companies remove them.
Arizona AG files consumer fraud lawsuit against vaping companies
January 7, 2020, The Daily Independent
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich filed suit Tuesday against two companies that make vaping products charging that they have illegally targeted teens and mislead consumers about the amount of addictive nicotine in their products. Brnovich charges that Juul Labs and Eonsmoke “appealed to, targeted, and exploited a generation of youth.”
In the case of Juul, the nation’s largest vaping firm, he cited ads that he said feature “young, attractive women in suggesting or casual and fun poses.” Brnovich also said the pods marketed by Juul dispense more nicotine than cigarettes but are designed to be less harsh, a tactic he said that is aimed at getting young people addicted.
China’s market regulator clarifies recall obligations for consumer products
January 7, 2020, China Briefing
On November 26, 2019, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) released the Interim Provisions on the Recall of Consumer Products to be effective January 1, 2020. The regulation clarifies the recall obligations and responsibilities of both producers of consumer goods and operators selling, leasing, or repairing consumer goods.
According to the Interim Provisions, when a producer or other operators discover specific concerns on the consumer products they make or sell, they must report to provincial market regulators within two business days.
