Consumer Reports Secures Marketplace Safety Improvements from Amazon and Temu

A fresh assessment of digital marketplaces has uncovered inconsistencies in safety policies and practices regarding baby products, though some retailers have already implemented immediate corrective measures.

Consumer Reports (CR) is urging all online shopping platforms to adopt essential protocols to safeguard consumer well-being.

CR has also provided guidance for parents purchasing baby products online.

YONKERS, NY—Consumer Reports (CR) released a report today evaluating four major digital marketplaces—Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Temu—after analyzing over 100 baby product listings for safety. The assessment identified gaps in marketplace policies that may lead to the sale of items prohibited by law or internal corporate rules. CR also published its marketplace product safety playbook today.

CR communicated directly with these platforms to share its findings, successfully securing several safety enhancements that benefit the public. Specifically, industry leaders Temu and Amazon pledged to make changes that improve safety disclosures, information accessibility, and recall transparency.

“This is an example of how Consumer Reports does more than report on a problem—we work with companies to fix it,” said Oriene Shin, manager of safety advocacy at Consumer Reports. “By engaging directly with major global platforms, we’re helping achieve systemic safety improvements for consumers. Amazon and Temu’s actions show the critical role these companies can play in setting strong policies that help people make safer and more informed shopping decisions for themselves and their families.”

The “Marketplace Safety by Design” report follows a 2024 CR white paper, which highlighted how current U.S. product safety and liability laws have failed to keep pace with the evolving e-commerce landscape. A nationally representative Consumer Reports survey from October 2025 indicates that 84% of U.S. consumers believe online retailers should be responsible for the safety of third-party products sold on their platforms, just as physical stores are held accountable for the items they stock.

“With more marketplaces hosting third-party sellers, it’s crucial that the industry has clear guidance to help keep consumers safe,” said Johnny Mathias, director of corporate strategy and engagement at Consumer Reports. “Parents have enough to worry about when shopping for children’s products, they shouldn’t have to second guess about safety. We developed a playbook to guide companies so consumers have the access to the same critical information online as they would in a brick-and-mortar store. Prioritizing marketplace safety is not just the right thing to do, it is a sound business decision to build trust and retain long-term customers.”

CR’s evaluation focused on three high-risk children’s product categories: full-size cribs, pacifiers, and children’s pajamas. Each of these items must meet mandatory federal safety standards and can pose significant risks to children if they are not properly designed or labeled.

Each platform performed best in different areas of the evaluation, suggesting that CR’s recommendations are achievable goals for creating safer digital marketplaces. When considering all aspects of the review, Amazon and Target outperformed Temu and Walmart overall.

CR discovered federally banned padded crib bumpers for sale on Amazon and Temu, as well as hazardous water beads—which are restricted by corporate policy—on Walmart and Amazon. Following outreach from CR, Amazon, Temu, and Walmart removed these items. Target was the only marketplace where no banned or restricted children’s products were identified.

Some listings lacked essential product and safety information—such as mandatory weight limits, age ranges, and safety warnings—leaving parents without the necessary details to determine if a product is safe for their child.

Several listings claimed to be “CPSIA Certified.” While specific certifications are required by law to demonstrate compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA), there is no official designation known as “CPSIA certified” or a formal “CPSIA certification.”

Amazon and Temu adopted the following CR-recommended improvements:

Amazon updated its pacifier listing standards to include mandatory strangulation warnings required by law on all packaging. For children’s pajamas, the company added improved sizing information and a safety page regarding flammability risks.

Temu launched a more accessible “Product Safety Alerts and Recalls” center, along with personalized recall notifications based on a user’s purchase history. Temu also created a list of prohibited products that is accessible to consumerschants to conduct BPA testing for pacifiers and submit verification documentation, and it has enhanced safety disclosures for crib and pacifier listings

Amazon and Temu both removed the unsafe product listings identified by CR and have committed to additional changes, detailed in the report, which are expected to be implemented by the end of March 2026.

CR shared its findings with all four companies weeks before the report was published. Amazon and Temu engaged most directly with CR and committed to several concrete changes. Target outlined general commitments but did not engage in depth with CR at that stage. Walmart acknowledged receiving the findings and recommendations but did not commit to any action.

With third-party sales projected to account for 59% of global e-commerce by 2027, CR is proposing short-term and long-term recommendations for industry-wide adoption. These measures encourage companies to integrate safety into their digital marketplaces through standardized information, visual guardrails, recall transparency, and increased seller accountability to protect consumers from hazardous products and ensure they can make informed purchasing decisions.

These recommendations align with CR’s Digital Marketplace Product Safety Framework, which is informed by the organization’s product testing, consumer research, direct engagement with platforms, and expertise in product safety.

For more information on the evaluation and practical tips on how to navigate digital marketplaces safely, read the full CR story.