Millions of parents turned to online shopping this past holiday season to get the toys on their kids’ wish lists. But with this greater reliance on e-commerce, including third-party marketplaces which often have lax rules for sellers, comes with an increased threat of knockoff and potentially dangerous products ending up in children’s hands. We expect the online shopping trend to continue to accelerate even beyond the pandemic, which means now is the time for lawmakers to strengthen regulations that will end the online sale of unsafe, knockoff toys and games.
Toy companies invest significant resources in product testing and other quality controls to ensure that the merchandise they sell to parents is safe for children to use. And responsible retailers have robust compliance programs and work with trusted suppliers and product manufacturers to ensure the products on their shelves and their online storefronts meet or exceed all safety regulations. Incidents of defective or unsafe products sold by legitimate retailers are very rare, but when a retailer detects any quality or safety issues with a product, those products are removed from their shelves or website. Consumers can be assured that whether they buy a product in the store or directly from a legitimate retailer’s website, those products have been vetted for safety.
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