In its recent submission to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the 2025 review of notorious markets for counterfeiting and piracy, the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) highlighted specific platforms that facilitate and profit from the sale of counterfeit goods. These platforms include Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, Shopee, as well as Alibaba’s AliExpress and Taobao.
The AAFA expressed concerns that the actions of these platforms jeopardize businesses, employees, consumers, and American innovation.
“While this trend is not replicated across every online platform, it represents an underlying concern: e-commerce platforms are often driven to maximize profits at the expense of one or more components of brand protection,” the AAFA stated.
“Every day, counterfeit products, along with fraudulent advertisements, deceptive websites, and counterfeit influencers that promote them, inundate these platforms, misleading consumers and complicating the crucial efforts of brand protection professionals to remove illicit and dangerous goods,” explained Jennifer Hanks, AAFA’s senior director of brand protection.
“All platforms must take responsibility for their willful ignorance by implementing proactive measures to prevent the visibility of counterfeits on their sites,” she added.
Steve Lamar, president and CEO of AAFA, remarked, “The Trump Administration has an opportunity to highlight the inadequate actions these marketplaces take to curb counterfeiters while raising awareness among American consumers about this hidden online threat.”
Another troubling trend noted by AAFA members in 2025 is the alarming rise in counterfeit goods linked to artificial intelligence (AI). The situation has worsened as sophisticated criminals exploit AI technology faster than the platforms can utilize AI to combat counterfeit products.
