Can online marketplaces be safer following new laws?

A New Era for Product Safety: Royal Assent of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act

In a landmark step towards consumer safety and marketplace accountability, the Product Regulation and Metrology Act has received Royal Assent, setting the stage for a sweeping reform of how dangerous and substandard products are regulated—particularly those sold through online marketplaces.

This long-awaited legislation marks a major turning point in modern consumer protection, granting enforcement bodies the tools they need to target emerging risks and hold digital platforms accountable in the same way that traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are.

Levelling the Playing Field Between High Street and Online Retail

Until now, the UK’s regulatory framework has struggled to keep pace with the rapid expansion of e-commerce. Online marketplaces have often escaped full responsibility for the safety of products sold through their platforms, despite acting as the gateway between sellers and consumers. This gap in accountability has allowed dangerous and often illegal goods—including counterfeit electronics and substandard lithium-ion batteries—to be sold with relative impunity.

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act aims to correct this imbalance. By placing legal responsibility on online platforms for the safety of goods sold, the Act introduces a level of scrutiny and oversight more in line with that faced by traditional retailers. This is a major victory for consumer rights groups, safety organisations, and industry professionals who have long campaigned for a more equitable and effective system.

A Critical Step in Combating E-Bike Battery Fires

Lesley Rudd, Chief Executive of Electrical Safety First, welcomed the legislation, calling it a potential “transformation of our product safety laws.” In a statement, she highlighted the urgent need to tackle the growing threat of substandard and modified e-bike batteries, which have been linked to a spate of devastating fires across the UK.

“We now have an opportunity to address new and emerging product safety risks – particularly the threat posed by substandard e-bike batteries, which continue to cause ferocious fires across the country, and the ‘Wild West’ of online shopping, where dangerous goods are relentlessly sold.”

The issue of battery safety has become increasingly prominent as personal mobility devices like e-bikes and e-scooters gain popularity. However, the market has also seen a flood of poor-quality batteries and unsafe chargers, many of which are sold online with little to no oversight. These components are often modified, non-compliant with UK safety standards, or used incorrectly, leading to violent fires that have cost lives and destroyed homes.

“The Wild West” of Online Shopping Under Fire

Rudd praised the speed at which the Government moved to enact the Bill but warned that the upcoming consultations and regulatory implementation must be “bold, brave and robust” if they are to have a meaningful impact.

“These batteries and modified devices continue to cause life-threatening fires, injuring and tragically, in some cases, killing people in their homes. Strong new rules are urgently needed to keep poor-quality batteries and accessories off the market. Online marketplaces must finally be held legally responsible for the safety of products sold through their platforms.”

Electrical Safety First has repeatedly called attention to the ease with which unsafe and non-compliant products can be purchased online—products that would never be allowed on the shelves of high street stores due to existing safety regulations and quality control standards.

What Happens Next?

With Royal Assent now granted, the next phase will involve detailed consultations and secondary legislation. These will define how the Act is implemented, enforced, and monitored. Key questions remain around the mechanisms for product surveillance, seller accountability, cross-border enforcement, and penalties for non-compliance.

But the signal from Westminster is clear: the era of light-touch regulation for online platforms is coming to an end.

For consumers, this means a future with stronger protections, safer products, and more trustworthy online shopping experiences. For online marketplaces, it signals the beginning of a new era of legal responsibility and proactive compliance.

Conclusion: A Safer Future Within Reach

The Product Regulation and Metrology Act offers a powerful framework to tackle 21st-century product safety challenges. Its success will depend not only on the legislation itself but on how courageously and comprehensively it is enforced.

As Lesley Rudd rightly notes, we now have an opportunity to take decisive action—to save lives, prevent fires, and restore trust in both digital commerce and the products we bring into our homes.

The onus is now on the Government, regulators, and the marketplaces themselves to ensure that opportunity isn’t squandered.

See the Electrical Safety First battery safety campaign to better understand why these changes are so important: Battery Safety campaign