Becca Trate

Policymakers need to consider the long-term interests of consumers and the continued growth of the e-commerce sector when drafting and implementing new laws and regulations that could slow down the fast logistics networks on which consumers depend.

Congress should amend the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to underscore the differences between shoplifting and organized retail crime while empowering law enforcement to find and target stolen goods on online resale platforms.

The Senate has introduced legislation to give consumers access to information about the origins of products sold online. But despite its good intentions, the bill would create uneven playing fields for brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers, and online marketplaces.

Businesses and e-commerce platforms have taken steps to remove fraudulent reviews, but policymakers need to address the problem of fake review brokers, or those who facilitate the creation and posting of fake reviews.

The Commission proposes updating the rule to reflect new types of subscription services and simplifying the cancellation process by creating a “click to cancel” option. The Center for Data Innovation supports the Commission’s goals and offers four recommendations.

Unfounded concerns about data use disparage legitimate businesses practices, ignore the benefits that these apps provide to consumers, and draw the focus away from legitimate concerns about product safety, forced labor, and counterfeit goods. Focusing on legitimate harms, not creating concerns about data, is the path forward to protecting U.S. consumers.

Drone delivery should be taking off, but the Federal Aviation Administration’s continued use of one-off waivers for operating delivery drones, instead of comprehensive regulations, have grounded delivery drone ambitions across the United States.

While online reviews help consumers make informed decisions on products and companies and inform companies about consumer experiences, some bad actors use deceptive practices, including submitting fake reviews, to manipulate consumer behavior and businesses' reputations.

The FTC is considering updating the Funeral Rule to require funeral providers to display or distribute itemized price lists online and through electronic media. The Center for Data Innovation supports the proposed change, noting that updating the rule would allow consumers to more easily compare prices across the funeral services industry and likely lead to cost savings for funeral services.

Gift card scams are on the rise. Scammers have relied on predatory tactics, emotional stories, and product tampering to steal nearly $450 million from unsuspecting Americans in the last three years alone, and the trend shows little signs of slowing.

Impactful revisions to the “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” should promote innovation, protect consumers, and capture how endorsement advertising has changed since 2009, with a focus on social media, consumer reviews, and advertising disclosures.

As policymakers worldwide explore new anti-counterfeiting measures in their regions, a consensus is emerging in the United States and the EU on best practices for e-commerce platforms to combat online sales of counterfeit goods.

Watch ITIF's Center for Data Innovation's webinar discussing the challenges inhibiting drone use in package delivery, where the drone tech and regulations affecting the tech are heading, and how policymakers can support safe drone operations.

Watch ITIF's Center for Data Innovation's panel discussion about the prevalence of fake online reviews, their impact on companies and consumers alike, and steps policymakers can take to stop their spread.

Join the Center for Data Innovation for a panel discussion on the future of the Endorsement Guides and how platforms and policymakers can work together to protect consumers, promote innovation, and improve advertising online.

Watch Center for Data Innovation's panel discussion about how the public and private sector can work together to establish global norms and best practice to better protect consumers from counterfeits and ensure respect for intellectual property in e-commerce.