How new UK laws could make it safer for you to shop online

A new law has been passed in the UK that aims to crack down on the sale of unsafe products through online marketplaces.

The aim is to ensure these platforms are held to the same standards as bricks and mortar stores, by introducing tougher powers to protect the public from dangerous products. 

We’re now a step closer following Royal Assent of the Product Regulation and Metrology (PRaM) Act, though the details to determine whether online shoppers will truly benefit are yet to be written.

You can help by signing our petition to protect online shoppers today. 

What do the new laws mean for online shoppers?

This new legislation aims to provide powers to target the new and emerging dangers posed by both well established and rapidly growing online marketplaces in the UK. The Office for Product Safety and Standards cites issues such as the rise in popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters, and associated safety incidents - in 2024 it received reports of 211 fires involving these products, equivalent to a fire every 1.7 days. 

To address the sale of all unsafe products by online marketplaces, the UK government intends to introduce new requirements at the earliest opportunity, including expectations around:

• The prevention of unsafe products being made available to consumers.
• That sellers operating on these platforms comply with product safety obligations.
• That relevant information is provided to consumers, alongside cooperation with regulators.

Product Safety Minister Justin Madders said: ‘By giving regulators the teeth to clamp down on unsafe products, we're ensuring people can shop with confidence whether online or on the high street.   

‘This will establish a level playing field and mean online marketplaces are held to the same high standards as bricks and mortar shops, ensuring we back businesses and protect consumers as part of our Plan for Change.’

Discover more about unsafe products on online marketplaces and how to avoid them.

Why Which? has been calling for tough new controls

While Which? welcomes the announcement, more needs to be done to ensure the new laws are effective in keeping consumers safe. For years, Which? has been exposing the dangerous products for sale on online marketplaces. But despite repeated evidence, these platforms have done far too little to combat the problem.

Despite their claims that ‘safety is a top priority’, we’re constantly finding examples of products that are unsafe or illegal to sell in the UK, and in some instances these are products that have been reported multiple times before.

It’s been known for years that ‘energy-saving plugs’ are scam products that do nothing of the sort, and are in fact electrically unsafe and illegal to sell. Yet as recently as May this year we found identical looking products yet again being sold to consumers through many of the biggest UK marketplaces. 

The same goes for products like electric heaters, toys and cosmetics. Our years of investigations have led us to warn consumers to avoid any unbranded or unknown-brand products – those that only appear to exist on online marketplaces – where there could be a safety risk, but the platforms don’t seem to have got the same message.

Worse still, when we put the controls that online marketplaces claim to have to prevent the sale of unsafe products to the test, it was all too easy to list illegal products for sale.

We don’t think consumers should be put at risk by the products they buy online, and our work has been instrumental in pushing for new laws to protect them.

Keep an eye on the latest product recalls and safety alerts from Which?

What happens next?

Even though the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 is now law, our campaign to Protect Online Shoppers is not yet won. In the coming months the Government will decide key details that will determine whether it genuinely benefits online shoppers by truly holding online marketplaces to account. 

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: ‘Which? has campaigned for years to hold online marketplaces to the same standards as high street retailers. For too long, consumers have been exposed to dangerous - and in some cases lethal - products. 

‘The Product Regulation and Metrology Act has the potential to be a game changer for consumer safety. It paves the way for new laws to clarify and strengthen responsibilities for online marketplaces, which is crucial in the fight against the sale of dangerous products online. 

‘Following the bill’s Royal Assent, the government must act fast to tighten definitions of online marketplaces, introduce a clear duty so that online marketplaces are accountable for product safety, and empower regulators to issue heavy fines for those that fall short of the required standards.’

Which? is part of a coalition alongside other organisations that have joined forces to prevent the sale of unsafe products - The Chartered Trading Standards Institute, Electrical Safety First, London Fire Brigade, and British Toy & Hobby Association. Together we will be working to ensure that the UK government holds online marketplaces accountable for putting consumers’ lives at risk, and are compelled to improve their systems to prevent the sale of unsafe products.

You can help by signing our petition to protect online shoppers today.