‘Danger’ to children: Amazon among online marketplaces selling unsafe toys in Europe

Some toymakers are “flooding” Europe with dangerous toys via online marketplaces, including magnets capable of puncturing a child’s intestines if swallowed and products containing toxic chemicals, according to an industry body.

Some toymakers are “flooding” Europe with dangerous toys via online marketplaces, including magnets capable of puncturing a child’s intestines if swallowed and products containing toxic chemicals, according to an industry body. Toy Industries of Europe, which represents toy manufacturers in the European Union and the United Kingdom, has said it recently bought more than 100 toys from third-party sellers on 10 online marketplaces — Amazon (AMZN) among them — and found that 80% of the toys failed to meet EU safety standards, presenting a potential “danger to children.” “Unsafe toys from sellers who ignore EU rules will keep flooding the EU unless online marketplaces are given more responsibility for the safety of the toys sold on their platform where no-one else in the EU has that responsibility,” Catherine Van Reeth, director general of TIE, said in a statement Thursday. “Unless every player in the value chain has to play its part, a legal loophole will remain.” The products studied were sold by both EU and non-EU traders on marketplaces including low-cost Chinese platforms Temu and Shein, alongside Amazon. An Amazon spokesperson said the company has “proactive measures in place to prevent unsafe or non-compliant products from being listed” on its site. “The products in question have been removed while we investigate,” they told CNN. A Temu spokesperson, meanwhile, told CNN that product quality and consumer safety were “top priorities” for the company. “All merchants on our platform must meet strict safety standards… We act swiftly on feedback, take prompt action to remove non-compliant products and address any issues,” they said.