Amazon’s latest Brand Protection Report is full of impressive stats. But behind the numbers, many honest sellers are asking a different question:

Who’s protecting us?
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Amazon's AI-Driven Fight Against Counterfeits
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In 2024, Amazon significantly expanded its fight against counterfeit goods. According to the report:

Over 99% of suspected counterfeit listings were blocked before brands even needed to act.
More than 24,000 legal actions were taken against counterfeiters.
2.5 billion units were verified through Amazon’s Transparency program.

These are big wins, no doubt. With advanced machine learning models and partnerships across the supply chain, Amazon is positioning itself as the industry leader in digital brand protection.

The Flip Side: Legit Sellers Getting Flagged
But here's the catch.

The same algorithms used to stop bad actors are also flagging compliant sellers.

Words like “enhancement,” “botanical,” or even “scented” are being flagged as risky, even if the product meets all compliance standards.

Many sellers report having their listings pulled without warning. Some spend weeks or even months trying to reinstate fully compliant listings from day one.

What’s worse? The appeal process often routes through generic support teams, leaving sellers to navigate broken loops without clear resolution.

Good Intentions, Real-World Impact
Amazon’s investment in fraud detection is real. However, the real-world experience for many small and mid-sized brands is entirely different.

The problem isn’t just policy enforcement. It’s false positives without proper escalation paths.

Without a better system for handling these edge cases, brand protection can feel like brand punishment.

Transparency That Cuts Both Ways
Amazon’s Transparency program aims to verify authenticity at scale, but for many sellers, the lack of transparency around why a listing was flagged is the bigger issue.

If AI is going to police the marketplace, it needs oversight, seller education, and more human context.

Otherwise, we're creating a system where good sellers are penalized for the same reasons Amazon claims to protect them.

Final Thoughts: Balance Is Everything
Yes, counterfeit protection is essential.
Yes, AI can help.
But AI needs nuance.

When legitimate sellers become collateral damage, the entire system starts to crack.

If Amazon wants to maintain trust with both customers and sellers, it must invest not just in technology—but in fairness, transparency, and support that works.

Looking Ahead

As Amazon continues to scale its brand protection initiatives, sellers need to stay proactive:

Review listing language carefully

Understand restricted keywords and categories

Maintain clear documentation for appeals

Monitor account health and product flags regularly
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Because one wrongly-flagged listing shouldn’t jeopardize your entire business.

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