Press Release

October 4, 2022
 
Media Contact: media@buysafeamerica.org
 

The Buy Safe America Coalition Voices Support for Including the INFORM Consumers Act as an Amendment to 2023 Defense Bill

Buy Safe America Coalition members sign letter to Congressional leadership urging Congress to modernize consumer protection laws

 
Washington, DC – Today, the Buy Safe America Coalition issued the following statement on an open letter to Congressional leadership.
 
“We support the ongoing efforts of Senators Bill Cassidy and Dick Durbin to include the INFORM Consumers Act in the 2023 Defense Bill, and we urge Congressional leadership to take immediate legislative action to help stop the online sale of stolen and counterfeit goods,” said Michael Hanson, Buy Safe America Coalition spokesperson. “This letter, signed by brands and groups across an array of industries and sectors, showcases the widespread impact of illicit e-commerce sales and why INFORM must remain a top legislative priority.”
 
The Buy Safe America Coalition is urging Congress to pass the INFORM Consumers Act — a bipartisan piece of federal legislation that would require online marketplaces to verify the identities of high-volume third-party sellers and disclose basic information to shoppers and law enforcement. The bill has attracted broad support from retailers, e-commerce platforms, law enforcement officials, manufacturers, and consumers, and is the only piece of legislation that addresses both stolen and counterfeit merchandise being sold online.
 
Retail theft has cost retailers over $69 billion annually and is responsible for the loss of hundreds of thousands of American jobs. Meanwhile, counterfeit goods sold on third-party marketplaces have also put consumers in harm’s way, posing a serious safety risk. Even more alarming are recent cases pursued by the Justice Department that show billions in illicit products sold to American hospitals, schools, and government agencies.
 
Visit BuySafeAmerica.org for more information about the growing threat of stolen and counterfeit goods and solutions to better protect consumers and businesses.
 

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The Buy Safe America Coalition represents a diverse group of responsible retailers, consumer groups, manufacturers, intellectual property advocates and law enforcement officials who support efforts at all levels of government to protect consumers and communities from the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods. The coalition is urging Congress to pass the INFORM Consumers Act — legislation that has multi-industry and bipartisan support to combat counterfeit and stolen products sold online.