Organizations

AAFA urges tougher action on online counterfeit networks

Oct 8, 2025 United States

Meta, Shopee and Alibaba platforms were named by the AAFA in a call for greater accountability, as counterfeiters exploit digital tools to flood markets with fake products and deceive consumers

“Every day, counterfeits and the fraudulent ads, fraudulent websites and dupe influencers that promote them flood platforms, deceiving consumers and complicating the important work of brand protection professionals to take down illicit and dangerous goods”, highlights Jennifer Hanks, AAFA’s Senior Director of Brand Protection.

“All platforms”, she continues, “must step up and take accountability for their willful blindness by instituting proactive, preventative measures so counterfeits are not visible on platforms in the first place”.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has called on the United States (US) government to take more decisive action against major online platforms that enable the sale and promotion of counterfeit goods.

In its submission to the Office of the US Trade Representative for the ‘2025 Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy’ report, the association identified Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Shopee, Alibaba’s AliExpress and Taobao as key offenders. According to AAFA, these platforms benefit financially from counterfeit trade, which endangers legitimate businesses, American workers and consumers.

The association warned that the problem continues to escalate with the growth of e-commerce. AAFA member brands once again dominated the top categories of confiscated counterfeit goods in 2024. Counterfeit products, the organisation said, not only damage innovation and employment but also pose environmental and consumer safety risks, often bypassing regulatory standards in pursuit of profit.

AAFA President and CEO Steve Lamar stated that identifying these platforms as “notorious markets” acknowledges the scale of the problem across some of the world’s most frequented social media and e-commerce sites. Lamar urged the Trump administration to spotlight the lack of adequate enforcement by online marketplaces and to raise consumer awareness about the prevalence of counterfeit fashion products circulating online.

Artificial Intelligence

A growing concern is the use of artificial intelligence by counterfeiters, who are increasingly leveraging the technology to create and distribute fake goods more efficiently than platforms can detect and remove them. AAFA argued that urgent government action is needed to close enforcement gaps, ensure digital accountability and safeguard American creativity, jobs and consumers from what it termed the “digital devalue chain” of counterfeits.

Image Credits: latimes.com

United States AAFA Counterfeit Footwear Legal Organisations