Dangerous electronics
Authority draws thousands of illegal products from traffic
Electronics that you buy should run safely and reliably. But what if you suddenly smear through? Many a product that is on the market actually has nothing to look for there.
Whether batteries that heat up too strongly, or radio sockets that bother the radio services of the police and fire brigade and can also caught fire: the Federal Network Agency and customs pulled thousands of illegal products out of circulation last year. In 2024, around 8,000 different devices were determined, the supervisory authority said in Bonn.
The device types have different quantities – all in all, it was 5.3 million devices. Even speed meters that disturbed the flight radio were not legally compliant – they should also not have been sold.
In 2023 there were 8,100 devices with 73 million devices. The numbers fluctuate from year to year – depending on whether mass items are more likely to be offered or special items in a small edition. It is often a question that information that is attached to the product is missing – such as the CE marking, which according to the product corresponds to the security requirements of the EU. For example, this was the case with drones that were sold here.
The Federal Network Agency carries out controls in shops and it orders test products on the Internet. “We protect consumers from products that come onto the market and do not comply with prescribed requirements,” says network agency boss Klaus Müller. Often these come from states outside the EU, especially from China. “This is how we ensure fair competition and protect consumers from inadmissible products.” The president of the authorities announced an intensification of the efforts.
dpa
Source: Stern
