US safety regulators say it’s time to investigate Shein and Temu

Safety regulators are urging the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to investigate the ultracheap e-commerce platforms Shein and Temu. In a statement published Tuesday, two CPSC commissioners say Shein and Temu "raise specific concerns," including reports that "deadly baby and toddler products are easy to find on these platforms."

The statement cites last month's report from The Information, which highlights some of the dangerous products sold on both sites. That includes padded crib bumpers on Temu that have been banned in the US, as well as children's drawstring hoodies on Shein that the CPSC considers a strangulation hazard.

CPSC commissioners Peter Feldman and Douglas Dziak say the safety agency should evaluate how Shein, which is headquartered in Singapore, and the China-based Temu comply with the Consumer Product Safety Act. The probe would determine how far these platforms fall outside the CPSC's reach, as well as look into the Chinese manufacturers that make the majority of goods on Shein and Temu.

"Third-party sellers, domestic and foreign, are proliferating on online platforms," the commissioners write. "This form of commerce can benefit consumers and sellers in many ways, but CPSC must make clear its expectations regarding these platforms' responsibilities to ensure safety." The Verge reached out to Shein and Temu with requests for comment but didn't immediately hear back.

As online stores like Shein and Temu boom in popularity thanks to their dirt-cheap prices, government officials are taking notice. In the European Union, Shein and Temu must comply with the region's strict regulations on large digital platforms. Temu is also facing a lawsuit from Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin alleging that its app grants "itself access to virtually all data on a user's cell phone."