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Samsung fined $14 million for Galaxy water resistance ads featuring pools and beaches

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Jun 23, 2022, 3:36 AM

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Back in in 2019, regulators from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) took Samsung to task over a couple of ads that aired on national TV and were plastered on billboards or appeared on social media.

The ads claimed that seven Samsung Galaxy phone models are water-resistant at up to five feet for up to 30 minutes and depicted dunking them in swimming pools or splashing droplets all over them on the beach.

The Australian consumer watchdog is targeting a subset of those ads - seven - which were showing the infamous pool and beach scenes. It turns out, however, that the water-resistance of the Galaxy phones, or any phones, for that matter, is tested with fresh water sealing, while salt water or chlorinated one in swimming pools, could very well bring corrosion to the charging port.

Samsung has agreed to settle with the ACCC for misleading claims for $14 million and has since addressed the issue by introducing hardware and software changes to its phones so that the water-resistance claims reflect reality better. According to Gina Cass-Gottlieb, the chair of the ACCC:

This penalty is a strong reminder to businesses that all product claims must be substantiated. The ACCC will continue to take enforcement action against businesses that mislead consumers with claims about the nature or benefits of their products.

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.