Santa Act Lauded as Important Tool to Improve Safety of Toys in Marketplace

December 17, 2019 | The Toy Association commends the introduction of a new bipartisan bill, which will require online marketplaces to verify third-party seller information and disclose key seller details to consumers.

The Stop All Nefarious Toys in America Act (SANTA Act), introduced today by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) will require marketplaces to display a seller’s full name, full business address, working phone number, and working email address and notify buyers if the product shipped is supplied by a seller other than the one displayed in the product listing.

"The Toy Association applauds Senator Bill Cassidy for his leadership on the SANTA Act. The legislation is an important step forward in empowering families who shop online," said Steve Pasierb, president & CEO of The Toy Association. "By providing online shoppers with information on who, and from where, they are purchasing toys from they will be better able to make smart, informed decisions about the toys and games being purchased online for their loved ones."

Under the SANTA Act, third-party sellers will also be required to disclose whether they are a manufacturer, importer, retailer, or reseller of the children’s product and display all warning labels.

Pasierb added, "Third-party sellers on online marketplaces have thus far not been held to the same high level of accountability that is expected from the U.S. toy and retail industries. Online sellers who seek to deceive consumers and profit from the sale of untested, unsafe and fake toys – and place children and other consumers at risk – must be stopped. This bill stands to be an important tool toward achieving this objective."

The announcement follows a productive meeting of The Toy Association’s Intellectual Property Committee meeting in Los Angeles, CA. Over the course of two days, about 50 committee members engaged directly with marketplaces about their respective approaches to removing unsafe, knockoff, and counterfeit toys from e-commerce platforms. Representatives from Amazon, eBay, and Walmart spoke on their current and future plans to improve the targeting and removal of rogue sellers and unsafe/counterfeit toys flowing into the country. Toy Association members also discussed advocacy initiatives and Meaghan Kent of Venable LLP addressed priorities for updating The Toy Association white paper, “The Real Threat of Fake Toys."

"We were thrilled to have such active and productive discussion with our members,” said Rebecca Mond, vice president of federal government affairs at The Toy Association. “The two-day meeting gave us important feedback for the IP Committee’s work in 2020 to improve The Association’s engagement and advocacy on this priority issue."

Read more about The Toy Association’s work to combat counterfeits here or contact Rebecca Mond, vice president of federal government affairs, to learn more.