Samsung Fined for Laptop Pesticide Claims: EPA

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Samsung has been fined $205,000 for claiming that its netbook and notebook computer laptop keyboards had antimicrobial properties that inhibited germs and bacteria, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.

The EPA said Samsung's labels and promotional material for the laptops would render the products pesticides that require registration with the agency. The company was found to be in violation of the federal pesticide law.

"Pesticides can be beneficial in killing off harmful bacteria, but they can also be dangerous if they don't work as claimed," George Pavlou, EPA acting regional administrator, said in a news release. "Members of the public think their health is being protected when it actually is not. Making sure that public health claims are true is part of the reason EPA governs the use of pesticides, and it is absolutely essential that those using pesticides register with EPA so that the agency can ensure the safety of all involved."

Along with paying the fine, Samsung will remove all pesticide-related claims made about the laptops. The company has notified retailers and distributors to remove such claims from labels, promotional brochures and Internet content, the EPA said.