05/24/2021
"The US Senate is considering new legislation called the INFORM Act, which would require Etsy to collect, verify, and display seller contact information on product listing pages. For many home-based business owners, this legislation would mean sharing your personal information widely online, including your full name, home address, telephone number, and email address.
The bill is being promoted as a tool to prevent organized crime rings from stealing and selling illegally obtained goods or counterfeit products online. That's a worthy goal, but unfortunately as drafted it would require marketplaces like Etsy to collect, verify, and display sellers' personal information (like your home address and phone number) on product listing pages, even though the unique handmade and vintage items on the marketplace are unlikely targets for such practices.
Lawmakers have simply not considered how this bill would impact the privacy, safety, and security of Etsy sellers who run their businesses from their homes. That's why they need to hear from you!
Will you join us in asking your senators to stop an unvetted INFORM Act from passing in the 11th hour? "
You can use this link to contact your local representative to stop this bill. It disproportionally will attack women, disabled, and members of the LGBTQIA who sell on Etsy and other marketplaces as income. Sharing their personal information would put many of these people at more risk for what seems like a flimsy reason at best.
It took me no more than a minute to fill out this short form.
Please take a moment to do so as well, Thank you!
Protect your privacy by opposing the Cassidy INFORM Amendment