The BTHA’s Kerri Atherton joined the Labour Party Conference panel discussing sales of unsafe, illegal, and counterfeit products online
The BTHA represented the toy industry at this year’s Labour Party Conference fringe event to provide insight and guidance over issues with online marketplace in the UK.
Kerri Atherton, the BTHA’s Head of Public Affairs, was a panellist at the event to discuss the next steps to reduce harmful goods flooding online sales platforms. The event, hosted by Electrical Safety First, addressed the challenges posed by online marketplaces in allowing the sale of unsafe, illegal, and counterfeit products.
Kerri was joined by other representatives from Which?, Electrical Safety First, and the Chartered Institute for Trading Standards, all calling for robust secondary legislation, greater accountability and proactive requirements for online marketplaces, underpinned by effective enforcement.
The BTHA is also supporting the Intellectual Property Office’s (IPO) campaign, Fake Toys, Real Harms, launched this autumn to raise awareness and help families protect children from unsafe products.
The campaign follows an investigation by Trading Standards, which found dangerous counterfeits across the entire toy market – from action figures with toxic paints, to electronic toys with loose battery compartments and exposed wires, dolls with arms that fall off at the first tug, and cuddly plush toys stuffed with materials that could cause breathing problems.
