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Amazon And Target Will Bar Sales Of Weighted Baby Sleep Sacks And Weighted Baby Swaddles Due To Safety Concerns
April 25, 2024, Consumer Reports
Amazon has adopted a new policy for listings of weighted baby blankets, sleep sacks, and swaddles: They aren’t allowed. Target and Babylist both said that they have decided to stop selling the products as well. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., wrote the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate the manufacturers of two popular weighted infant sleep products, Dreamland Baby and Nested Bean, for deceptive advertising. These products have raised alarm with medical experts, who say that even gentle pressure can obstruct babies’ breathing and heart rates. Commissioner Trumka’s Statement

Williams-Sonoma To Pay Record $3.17 Million Civil Penalty For Violating FTC Made In USA Order
April 26, 2024, Federal Trade Commission
Home products company Williams-Sonoma will be required to pay a record civil penalty of $3.175 million for violating a 2020 Federal Trade Commission order requiring the retailer to tell the truth about whether the products it sells are Made in USA. “Williams-Sonoma claimed its products were made in the United States even though they were made in China,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “Williams-Sonoma’s deception misled consumers and harmed honest American businesses. Today’s record-setting civil penalty makes clear that firms committing Made-in-USA fraud will not get a free pass.”

The Myths And Realities Of Being A Product Manager
April 25, 2024, Harvard Business Review
Product management has become an aspirational career. A group of popular social media influencers regularly offers advice on what it takes to attain a job and succeed in this field. But their content tends to glamorize the profession, gloss over the day-to-day realities and dispense wisdom that isn’t always on point.

CPSC: Stop Using Montebello ST And DRT63ST Gas Fireplaces; No Recall Or Remedy Available, Manufacturer Out Of Business
April 25, 2024, cpsc.gov
The Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning consumers about the risk of death and serious injuries from certain Innovative Hearth Products (IHP) gas fireplaces. CPSC urges consumers to immediately stop using the Montebello ST and DRT63ST fireplaces. The window glass assembly of the fireplace can allow air to enter the fireplace and direct flames downward, overheating and igniting flammable material under the fireplaces. The manufacturer, Innovative Hearth Products LLC, went out of business and is unable to conduct a recall.

CPSC Releases Final Supplemental Guidance For Its Chronic Hazard Guidelines
April 25, 2024, Intergal Consulting
This supplemental guidance introduces an advanced benchmark dose methodology for estimating acceptable daily intakes and cancer risks. Other agencies like EPA have already adopted such approaches into their risk assessment guidance, but this is the first time they will be incorporated into the CPSC guidelines, which had not been updated since 1992. Whether you are a manufacturer or a product safety expert who wants to keep current with best practices, this updated guidance will benefit your assessments by providing clearer frameworks and broader approaches for determining risks at various exposure levels and confirming the safety of consumer products. 

Businesses To Face Tightened ‘Forever Chemicals’ Regulations In The UK
April 26, 2024, Pinsent Masons OUT-LAW
Businesses across sectors and their directors should be aware of upcoming changes to the UK’s key regulations restricting the production, sale and use of certain long-lasting harmful chemicals, known as persistent organic chemicals (POPs), as violation can lead to strict liability. The UK POP regulations implement certain international treaties into the law in the UK and ensure they remain relevant post Brexit. 

EU Officially Adopts New Right-To-Repair Rules
April 24, 2024, Engineering + Technology
The European Union has adopted new right-to-repair rules that will make it easier and more cost-effective to repair broken devices. This will ‘empower consumers in the fight against climate change’ and bolster the repair sector. The rules clarify what manufacturers must do regarding the repair of broken products in a bid to encourage individuals to extend the lifecycle of their existing products rather than merely replacing them with something new. While the EU already requires manufacturers to offer a two-year minimum warranty on products, under the new rules goods repaired under warranty will benefit from an additional one-year extension of the warranty. To make the repair process as straightforward as possible and to strengthen the repair market, the EU plans to launch an online platform. Here consumers can find local repair shops, sellers of refurbished goods, buyers of defective items or community-led repair initiatives, such as repair cafes.

Opinion: On The Right Path – New E-Bike Regulations In British Columbia
April 24, 2024, Fasken
The British Columbia government has introduced new regulations governing the use of e-bikes. The Motor Assisted Cycle (E-Bike) Regulation came into force on April 5, 2024, and repeals the previous 2002 regulation. The 2002 regulation was confusing and led to a number of e-bike users being convicted of offences under the Motor Vehicle Act because their e-bikes did not meet certain technical standards. The new regulation is intended to bring clarity as to what types of e-bikes are permissible on BC roads. Manufacturers, sellers and users of e-bikes in BC should review the new regulation so they can ensure their e-bikes are compliant for use on BC roads.

NBDA To Submit Comments To CPSC On Behalf Of North American Retailers Regarding E-Bike Safety Regulations, Seeks Retailers Feedback
April 25, 2024, bicycleretailer.com
The National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) is taking proactive steps to advocate for the safety of cyclists by announcing it will submit comments to the Consumer Product Safety Commission on behalf of retailers across North America. The CPSC is currently considering the development of new rules to address the risk of injury associated with e-bikes. In response to the CPSC’s call for comments, the NBDA has extracted six questions from those posted by the CPSC, specifically tailored to solicit insights from retailers. The responses received will be included in the NBDA’s submission to the CPSC, reflecting the collective feedback and opinions of retailers at large.

CDT Europe’s Ai Bulletin: April 2024
April 19, 2024, Center for Democracy and Technology
After two years of intense negotiation, the European Parliament voted on 13 March to adopt the EU AI Act. While reaching this crucial stage was no easy feat, the Parliament’s rubber stamp does not negate potential hurdles ahead for bringing the new regulation into force. The final AI Act adopts a risk-based regulatory approach, which — in brief — means that all AI systems are categorized as presenting unacceptable, high, or limited or minimal risk. The Act outlaws AI systems posing unacceptable risks, heavily regulates those it considers to pose a high ris, and imposes transparency and information obligations on specific AI systems that it deems a transparency risk.

Crackdown On PFAS: What To Know About The ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Everyday Use
April 26, 2024, Washington Examiner
The Biden administration is tightening the screws on “forever chemicals” used in the production of a wide range of consumer goods, such as nonstick cookware, camping gear, and fast-food packaging — a push that industry groups argue is overly restrictive and will drive up costs. The rules are part of a yearslong Environmental Protection Agency-led push to crack down on air and water pollution from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, or PFAS, which are nearly impossible to break down naturally and are linked to health troubles such as liver and kidney disease, immune problems, and certain cancers.