Dangerous toys reaching Australian kids via online giants, consumer group warns

Potentially dangerous toys and products are easily reaching Australian homes via online retail giants, bypassing safety regulations due to legal loopholes, consumer group CHOICE has warned. Platforms such as Amazon, Temu, AliExpress, and eBay are selling items that may already be banned in Australia.

These products include novelty items like fake cigarettes that produce smoke, toy-like lighters, and removable tongue studs posing choking hazards. Concerns also extend to flammable garments, products with small choking hazards, and potentially deadly button batteries, many of which may breach safety standards. CHOICE director of campaigns Andy Kelly described the scale of unsafe products as "frightening," particularly those intended for infants and children.

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Due to the legal loopholes regarding online sales, nothing generally gets done about the breaches until someone is hurt.

CHOICE has lodged a complaint with the consumer watchdog and is calling on the Australian government to take action. Kelly explained that online retailers often claim to be mere intermediaries, deflecting blame onto third-party suppliers located globally. "That gap in the law really allows online marketplaces to continue to get away with selling these unsafe products with little consequence," he told AAP.

The consumer group advocates for a general safety provision, a measure already in place in the European Union, which would obligate all businesses to ensure the safety of their products. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recently taken legal action against Amazon for allegedly selling toddler backpacks without proper safety warnings about button batteries. The ACCC is also investigating the online sale of games and toys containing small, high-powered magnets, which are banned due to the risk of life-threatening injuries if swallowed. Take-down requests have been issued for such products on multiple platforms.

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That gap in the law really allows online marketplaces to continue to get away with selling these unsafe products with little consequence.