Amazon, Etsy and TikTok Shop are among the online marketplaces that have removed potentially dangerous baby products after an investigation found 150 items for sale despite safety warnings.
Consumer group Which? identified baby sleep pillows, unsafe sleeping bags and self-feeding bottle devices listed across eight major online marketplaces, warning that some posed risks of suffocation, choking or serious injury.
The investigation found products available on Alibaba, AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, OnBuy, TikTok Shop and Wish, with Which? claiming thousands of units had already been sold.
Etsy had the highest number of flagged listings, with 41 products identified, while Amazon had 36.
Which? said researchers found 54 self-feeding products across five marketplaces. The Office for Product Safety and Standards warned in 2022 that such devices should not be used, as they can put babies at risk of choking or aspiration pneumonia if milk enters the lungs.
The consumer group also identified 37 baby pillows marketed for infants under 12 months, despite warnings that such products can increase the risk of suffocation, overheating and sudden infant death syndrome.
A further 59 baby sleeping bags were found that Which? believes failed to meet British safety standards because they included hoods, lacked arm holes, or both. The group said these could allow a baby to slip down inside the bag or have their face covered.
Which? head of consumer protection policy Sue Davies said “the lives of babies are at risk” and urged ministers to use powers under the Product Regulation and Metrology Act to impose clear legal duties on online marketplaces.
She said platforms should be legally responsible for ensuring products sold by third-party sellers are safe, with meaningful penalties where they fail to do so.
Most marketplaces removed the products after being contacted by Which?.
Amazon said it had strict controls in place for baby products, while AliExpress, Alibaba, eBay, Etsy, OnBuy and TikTok Shop said they had taken down the items flagged by the consumer group.
TikTok Shop said affected customers had also been notified. Wish did not respond to requests for comment.
Which? has repeatedly called for tougher regulation of marketplaces, arguing that current rules leave shoppers exposed to unsafe goods that would be unlikely to reach shelves through traditional retail channels.
Retail Gazette last week confirmed that the government has launched a review of the UK’s toy safety rules to examine whether they remain fit for purpose as AI-enabled toys and new technologies become more common.
The Call for Evidence, which opened on Monday, is set to gather views on issues such as chemical safety, AI toys and whether current regulations keep pace with changes in how toys are designed, sold and used.
The government said the review forms part of wider efforts to strengthen consumer protection, particularly as more products are bought through online marketplaces.
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