Amazon is fighting the government’s efforts to get it to recall hazardous products

Amazon is suing the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) aft the bureau said it was liable for recalling each of the unsafe products connected its marketplace, including those sold by 3rd parties. In a suit filed past week, Amazon accuses the CPSC of stretching user information instrumentality by treating the e-commerce elephantine arsenic a distributor alternatively than a logistics provider.

The CPSC sued Amazon successful 2021, claiming the institution failed to decently callback tens of thousands of hazardous items, including flammable children’s pajamas and faulty c monoxide detectors. Though Amazon removed the products successful question and sent notifications to buyers, the CPSC alleged it “downplayed the severity of the hazard.” The CPSC aboriginal reaffirmed an administrative instrumentality judge’s determination that Amazon is simply a distributor, making it liable for carrying retired recalls of third-party goods.

But Amazon classifies itself arsenic a third-party logistics supplier that “does not manufacture, own, oregon merchantability those products,” which would mean the CPSC doesn’t person the authorization to contented callback orders to the company. It besides claims the CPSC’s operation is unconstitutional, saying it allows commissioners “to enactment arsenic judge, jury, and authoritative successful the aforesaid proceeding.” Amazon launched a merchandise callback page connected its tract successful 2023. 

“The instrumentality is wide that Amazon is simply a ‘distributor’ successful this lawsuit and indispensable transportation retired a recall,” William Wallace, the manager of information advocacy for Consumer Reports said successful a effect to the lawsuit. “It’s absurd to suggest that due to the fact that a institution hosts a marketplace online it should beryllium exempt from sensible requirements that assistance get hazardous products retired of people’s homes and forestall them from being sold.”