While e-commerce has been a boon for big and small businesses alike, allowing brands to reach customers all over the world, the digital marketplace is still a Wild West of unregulated products, inaccurate marketing copy, and counterfeit items. According to a survey by Michigan State University researchers, 7 in 10 shoppers unknowingly bought counterfeit products online in 2023. The RealReal used data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Census records to highlight the proliferation of counterfeit goods in e-commerce—and what consumers can do to protect themselves. A 2019 Wall Street Journal investigation called the e-commerce giant Amazon "a flea market" where vendors sold goods that falsely claimed to be certified or approved by agencies, even if those goods did not meet compliance standards. The paper found high lead levels in baby products, motorcycle helmets falsely claiming to be approved by the Department of Transportation and unregistered pesticides.