Press Release

INFORM Consumers Act: A Measured Step to Limit Illicit Online Sales

The House of Representatives is poised to vote on the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act, a bill that would target the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous goods. In a new insight, Director of Technology and Innovation Policy Jeffrey Westling explains how the bill works and why it may be Congress’ best option for passing tech legislation in the lame duck.

Key points:

  • The INFORM Consumers Act would take a measured approach to addressing illegal online sales by requiring that “high-volume” sellers provide information to online marketplaces and consumers.
  • The bill has bipartisan support thanks to several compromises, such as the threshold at which sellers must disclose information to consumers.
  • With limited time left on the legislative calendar, this bill, which would target specific problems and is largely uncontroversial, will likely prove easier for Congress to consider than more controversial bills that would drastically alter existing law to regulate big tech.

Read the analysis

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