Today, NetChoice raised concerns with the introduction of the INFORM Consumers Act by Senators Durbin (D-IL) and Cassidy (R-LA). The bill seeks to impose liability on platforms for illegal goods sold online despite these being mostly offline crimes.
“The presence of stolen goods is an exception to online sales, not the norm. By mandating burdensome requirements because of a few bad actors, Congress is punishing America’s small businesses by threatening a major source of income during a pandemic,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel for NetChoice.
“Big box stores have already run mom-and-pops physically out of town—now the chief proponents of this bill like Walmart and Target want to make it even harder for American consumers to buy from small businesses,” continued Szabo.