05.18.22

Durbin Meets With eBay CEO To Discuss INFORM Consumers Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with eBay’s CEO, Jamie Iannone, to discuss his Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act, which passed the House as part of the America COMPETES Act and is currently being conferenced with the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). The bipartisan legislation will combat the online sale of stolen, counterfeit, and dangerous consumer products by ensuring transparency of high-volume third-party sellers in online retail marketplaces. They were also joined by Karen Lesak, an eBay user from Northbrook, Illinois, who runs a small retail clothing business that sells items over eBay.

“People deserve to know basic information about those who sell them consumer products online,” said Durbin. “I’m pleased eBay has been a supporter of the INFORM Consumers Act, which will help promote responsible marketplace behavior, discourage shadowy sales practices, and protect consumers. I look forward to our continued discussions to get this bill across the finish line.”

A photo of Durbin’s meeting is available here.

The INFORM Consumers Act, co-led by Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), would direct online retail marketplaces that include third-party sellers of consumer products to authenticate the identity of “high-volume third-party sellers,” which will help deter the online sale of counterfeit goods by anonymous sellers and prevent organized retail crime rings from stealing items from stores to resell those items in bulk online.  The bill will also ensure that purchasers can obtain basic identification and contact information for high-volume third party sellers of consumer products on online marketplaces. 

-30-