A new report is sounding the alarm about online giant Amazon, claiming the company is not complying with California law and that certain products that are potentially dangerous to children are able to be purchased by children through their platform.
“The examination found that Amazon is currently not complying with §1798.99.1,” the new study from the Children’s Advocacy Institute (CAI) at the University of San Diego School of Law says about Amazon and California law.
“When it comes to many products that are illegal to sell to minors — some of which are potentially dangerous to children — Amazon is not engaging in any of the required steps to ensure children cannot buy certain products.
From a child safety perspective, it is appropriate to focus on Amazon. It is by a vast margin the dominant online seller of products. No other company comes close.”
The study cites a 2018 news story where it was reported that a minor was able to purchase a BB gun on Amazon despite BB guns being illegal to sell to minors in the state.
CAI states that it is “not apparent that Amazon is taking any steps at all” to ensure minors are not allowed to buy spray paint, etching cream, ultraviolet tanning devices, and body branding equipment that are listed in California law as items minors cannot purchase.
The report also claims Amazon users are also able to bypass age verification to purchase a BB gun by putting in incorrect information, signing out of their account and signing back in, or finding other ways to avoid inputting accurate information that would prevent the purchase.
The study also claims that minors are able to purchase tobacco paraphernalia.
“As with the BB gun purchase process above, a customer can proceed to the final check-out page upon inputting a legal age and driver’s license number; however, as above, Amazon apparently takes no steps to verify that the information entered is accurate,” the study says. “Here, as above, entering an incorrect driver’s license number (off by one digit) was accepted as valid identification, and the purchase was able to proceed.”
Amazon “apparently accepts inputting an incorrect age so long as it is above the age of 18 even if the age does not match the information on the provided driver’s license,” the study alleges.
The study also claims that Amazon does not “appear” to require a legal adult from receiving these questionable packages and that the company is not taking “reasonable steps” to ensure minors are not purchasing the items.
“Every company should robustly obey the law, especially when it comes to child-protective laws and a company that earned over $50 billion in 2024,” Ed Howard, CAI Senior Counsel, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Not only is Amazon imperiling child safety, it also gains an unfair advantage over any businesses that follow the law, including mom-and-pop retailers.”
In a statement to Fox Business, an Amazon spokesperson said, “Customer safety and trust are our highest priorities, and Amazon takes its responsibility to enforce age controls seriously. Minors are not permitted to shop on Amazon.com without the involvement of a parent or guardian, per our Conditions of Use.”
“For applicable products, to comply with the California law, our age controls require customers to submit their birthdate and information from an accepted form of ID, and we validate the information provided. If we became aware of instances in which a customer has not provided accurate information, we would investigate and take appropriate action. If we identify products that have evaded our age verification controls, we act immediately to address the issue.”
In a press release, CAI explains that only public prosecutors, like District Attorneys, are currently able to enforce the law they allege Amazon is not complying with and points to a new bill proposed by California Democratic State Senator Eloise Reyes to fix that.
“With the rise of technology and increased internet access, we must prioritize protecting our youth from greedy corporate businesses that prioritize profit over our youths’ safety,” Reyes said about SB 659, also known as the Parent’s Accountability and Child Protection Act.
“Traditional retailers take necessary steps to verify age and comply with the law, the same should be true for online retailers. SB 659 holds retailers equally accountable by strengthening enforcement against illegal online sales. The bill increases the penalties for violating existing laws and empowers parents to take legal action against e-businesses that negligently violate consumer protections for children. Minors should be protected from unlawful purchases regardless of where the product is purchased.”
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