Turn That Down! Europe Readying iPod Volume Restrictions

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Is the iPod bad for your health? The worst problems come from prolonged periods of high-volume music – on all the time, seemingly everywhere. That has been an on-again, off-again focus for the European Union, though regulations are now getting closer. On Monday, EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva told iPod and other MP3-player manufacturers to create volume recommendations and build those limits into their players.

Specifically, the required sound maximum would be 80 decibels, though consumers could override that setting. 89 decibels has been deemed an unsafe threshold, and companies have two years to incorporate the changes. In-package warnings are also part of the new restrictions. “The new standards will ensure that normal default settings on personal music players do not expose you to a risk to hearing,” Kuneva stated during a recent press conference.

But what exactly are the ingredients for generating hearing loss? According to Bridget Cosgrave of lobbying group Digital Europe, existing background noise also plays an important role. Excessive background noise – in airplanes, trains, or city streets – can prompt users to pump up the volume for long periods of time. “Where people are using their personal music player, how much background noise and what type of background noise are they already exposed to,” Cosgrove described at the same conference.

Separately, Kuneva also addressed the bizarre issue of exploding iPods, and promised a recall if a manufacturing defect is discovered. “If goods are dangerous, then we will order a recall,” Kuneva promised.

This story has been provided by our content partner Digital Music News.

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