Tell your senators to keep sellers’ private information confidential

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?