Shopify tells merchants to remove vape products from online stores
SHOP•Policy applies to all vape products
Shopify said earlier in June that it prohibited illegal activity and that enforcement decisions were based on its assessment of legal requirements across jurisdictions.
The company confirmed the notice was authentic but did not comment further. According to a spokesperson for Bonta, Shopify's decision applies globally.
Shopify updates policy on vape sales
Shopify has told merchants using its web-hosting services to remove vape products from their online stores, according to a notice seen by Reuters and later confirmed by the company.
The June 24 notice said that, due to changes in legal restrictions on the sale of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, Shopify "no longer supports the sale of these products." Merchants were instructed to remove all e-cigarette products by July 8 or face product suspension or store termination.
Pressure from regulators drove the change
Reuters reported in June that Shopify was planning the move after pressure from a coalition of U.S. state and city law enforcement authorities over illegal vape sales on sites hosted on its platform.
The coalition included attorneys general from California, Illinois and Arizona, as well as authorities in New York City, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the change would help reduce the sale of illegal nicotine products and that regulators would continue to hold companies accountable.
