A consumer advocacy group has sounded the alarm on the proliferation of counterfeit products on major e-commerce platforms, calling it a "full-blown consumer protection crisis." The group, speaking to Philstar Biz, noted that the volume of fake goods on platforms such as Lazada and Shopee has reached alarming levels, posing serious risks to consumer safety and brand integrity.
Barcodes Philippines noted that barcodes and GTINs can serve as a key tool in product verification, helping both platforms and consumers distinguish genuine items from counterfeits.
The group urged e-commerce platforms to implement stricter verification measures for sellers and to promptly remove listings of counterfeit items. It also called on government agencies, particularly the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), to intensify enforcement of intellectual property laws and to hold platforms accountable for facilitating the sale of fake goods.
Without immediate intervention, the group warned that the counterfeit trade would continue to erode consumer trust and harm legitimate businesses. The advocacy group emphasized that the growing reliance on online shopping makes such enforcement actions critically urgent.