2025 toy safety online marketplace investigation
BTHA’s latest toy safety investigation has found that 90% of the toys they purchased through major online marketplaces failed to meet the robust toy safety requirements in the UK – posing a danger to children.
The BTHA first raised concerns of unsafe toys being sold through online marketplaces seven years ago in 2018. Evidence has been sought on an annual basis as part of our campaign calling on the UK government to introduce legislation for online marketplaces to prevent the sale of unsafe toys. More than 700 toys have been purchased and tested during this time, with the number of unsafe toys available remaining high.
Testing AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Shein, Temu and TikTok Shop
The latest investigation assessed toys bought from seven popular online marketplaces: AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Shein, Temu, TikTok Shop, and Wish. 81% of the toys failed testing to a safety standard making them unsafe, while a further 9% failed on legal labelling requirements. The safety concerns in these toys include small parts in toys targeted at children under three which if swallowed can cause choking; easy access to coin batteries that if swallowed can burn a hole in the food pipe causing internal bleeding in some instances which can be fatal; and toys with sharp points and wires protruding which should not be found as they can puncture skin and eyes.
Legal requirement on online marketplaces
According to data and estimates, at least 15% of toys bought in the UK are now from an online marketplace third-party seller – and it is a channel that is growing. While traditional retail models have safety obligations under existing laws, online marketplaces are still not responsible for the safety of toys sold by their third-party sellers meaning it is too easy for these sellers to get away with bypassing standards designed to keep children safe.
Following many years of campaigning to legislate online marketplaces, earlier this year the government passed a new law on product safety which was welcomed. The BTHA is now calling on the government to introduce secondary legislation to put a legal requirement on online marketplaces to ensure that all products sold through its platform is safe, supported by strong enforcement and penalties.
Source: https://www.btha.co.uk/2025-toy-safety-investigation/