Logitech is known for their keyboards and mice, and the company always seems to find new ways to make what should be boring old accessories interesting. The MX 3200 Laser keyboard and mouse are an awesome example, as Logitech said the combo pack was built using an AgION surface meant to disrupt the growth of bacterial cells.
Not a bad idea at all, but the way that Logitech marketed the MX 3200 Laser didn’t please the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency one bit.
According to the Register, Logitech made claims that the keyboard would protect against microbes and bacteria, which has earned the company a six-figure fine. “Unverified public health claims can lead people to believe they are protected from disease-causing organisms when, in fact, they are not,” said the EPA’s regional administrator for the Pacific Southwest Jared Blumenfeld.
The AgION silver compound was found by the EPA to be a preservative, not an actively anti-microbial. I’m no science whiz, but that basically means the user is protected against the growth of mold and mildew on the device, rather than from microbes. As a result, Logitech is being fined $261,000 for making unsubstantiated public health claims.