Consumer protection groups: Social media needs to do more to block Black Friday fakes
Consumer protection groups have called on social media to do more to block fake Black Friday deals as hundreds of counterfeit items are removed from Instagram.
Facebook’s owner Meta and the Trading Standards said it had removed hundreds of items from the app in the run up to tomorrow’s sale.
Items included potentially dangerous chargers as well as fake clothing and fashion accessories, jewellery, and car parts.
Commenting on this move, Head of Consumer Protection Policy at Which? Sue Davies said: “The fact that a lot of these products found on Instagram could potentially be dangerous shows why online platforms need to do more to prevent these items appearing.
“The government must make online platforms legally responsible for dangerous and illegal products sold through their sites.”
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) has also urged shoppers seeking to save money on Black Friday bargains to be on their guard against scams, fake reviews and potentially unsafe goods.