Amazon and Tiktok have been accused of dodging parliamentary scrutiny over consumer safety, after MPs raised concerns about the tech giants’ reluctance to appear before a committee hearing next week.
Liam Byrne, chair of the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) Committee, wrote to senior executives at both companies on Tuesday, warning that their unwillingness to face questions risked undermining protections for British shoppers.
In letters addressed to Amazon’s UK director of public policy, Monica Ariño, and Tiktok’s director of public policy for Northern Europe, Alistair Law, Byrne urged both firms to send representatives to the hearing on 3 November.
The session will look into consumer protections relating to the regulation of online marketplaces and products sold through them.
“Disregard of parliamentary oversight reflects badly on your company’s willingness to engage with policymakers, and hampers the committee’s ability to ensure regulation and protections are fit for purpose”, Byrne wrote.
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Ministers tighten online shopping rules
Earlier this year, the government launched proposals to hold online platforms to the same product safety standards as traditional retailers, following concerns about dangerous goods sold online, including lithium-ion batteries linked to fires.
The Law Commission has also proposed extending product liability rules to online marketplaces where defective goods are sold by businesses without an identifiable UK presence.
Such changes could leave platforms including Amazon liable for certain harms caused by products sold through third-party sellers.
The parliamentary row comes ahead of John Healey’s first Budget, amid reports that the Treasury is preparing a separate crackdown on VAT avoidance through online marketplaces.
Under the reported plans, platforms could be made responsible for collecting VAT from sellers with annual turnover exceeding £90,000, potentially raising up to £1bn for the Treasury.
Amazon has previously welcomed proposals to close the loophole, arguing that the changes would simplify compliance for legitimate sellers.
Byrne said the companies played a major role in the market and stressed the “vital importance of parliamentary scrutiny” concerning the safety and financial interests of UK consumers.
Both companies have been asked to make representatives available for next Tuesday’s hearing.