UK pushes platform liability over unsafe baby goods sold online
The discovery of 150 hazardous baby products on global e-commerce platforms has pushed the UK to demand proactive safety checks, highlighting a looming regulatory clash over online marketplace liability.
Consumer group Which? identified 150 unsafe baby products listed by third-party sellers across eight major online marketplaces. The items, including choking-hazard self-feeders and suffocation-risk sleep pillows, remained available despite official safety warnings and product recalls from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
The hazardous listings appeared on platforms integral to European retail, including Amazon, eBay, AliExpress, Alibaba, Etsy, TikTok, OnBuy and Wish. More than a third of the flagged items were self-feeding bottle devices, comprising 33 long-straw designs and 21 pillow bottle-holders designed to fasten around a baby's neck. Investigators also found 59 unsafe sleeping bags with hoods or without armholes, and 37 sleep pillows marketed for newborns.
This persistent availability exposes a fundamental weakness in the third-party marketplace model that drives the bulk of e-commerce revenue. Platforms currently rely on reactive moderation, removing dangerous items only after consumer groups or regulators flag them. For investors and operators, the investigation signals mounting regulatory risk as governments move away from treating these companies as neutral intermediaries.
The UK government explicitly stated that it is no longer acceptable for companies to act solely when products are flagged. A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade called the findings "incredibly concerning," stressing an obligation to proactively block unsafe goods from making their way onto these sites in the first place.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, warned that "the lives of babies are at risk" because platforms allow dangerous products to reach customers. She urged the government to "urgently use the new powers it has under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act" to "impose a clear legal duty on online marketplaces for ensuring the safety of products sold through their third-party sellers, with tough enforcement for those that fall short".
In response, the targeted platforms overwhelmingly defaulted to their standard defense. Amazon, Alibaba, AliExpress, eBay, Etsy, TikTok and OnBuy all confirmed they had removed the specific listings flagged by the investigation. eBay noted its use of "technology, AI and expert teams" to police its site, while others pledged ongoing seller education and enhanced control measures.
The commercial success of these prohibited items relies on exploiting exhausted parents. Ruth Watts, a registered health visitor, noted that parents are "the most vulnerable consumers out there," often tempted by products promising better infant sleep. The Lullaby Trust recommends a firm, flat mattress in a clear cot, while Which? advises against buying any self-feeding aids or sleeping bags with hoods.
