Atty. Gen. Moody Calls on Leading Online Companies to Crack Down on Illegal Alcohol Sales

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is calling on Craigslist, eBay and Facebook to take proactive measures against illegal alcohol sales on their platforms. Attorney General Moody is joining a bipartisan coalition of 46 Attorneys General in this effort to stop illegal online alcohol sales.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “When websites like Craigslist, eBay and Facebook allow alcohol sales on their platforms—state licensing laws and consumer protection efforts are often violated. This creates risk for consumers who could obtain fake or even tainted products, sometimes with deadly effects. As we’ve seen with the teen vaping epidemic, teenagers are finding new ways to purchase contraband online. That is why I am joining other attorneys general across the country to urge these online platforms to take responsibility and implement meaningful systems and programs to protect Floridians.”

In a letter to these online companies, Attorney General Moody, along with the other attorneys general, point out concerns that unlicensed, unregulated and untaxed alcohol sales are taking place on digital platforms. Some of the products sold on these platforms may be counterfeit or tainted—sometimes with harmful health effects. Consumers may not know that this method of alcohol sales is illegitimate, or that these black-market products could pose health risks.

The letter asks Craigslist, eBay and Facebook to take the following actions:

  • Review current content posted to their platforms;
  • Remove illegal postings for the sale and/or transfer of alcohol products; and
  • Develop and deploy programming to block and prevent platform users from violating state law by posting illegal content for the sale and distribution of alcohol products.


To read the letters in their entirety, click here.

The coalition of attorneys general also invited the companies to join a working group of stakeholders from government and industry to further explore establishing practical and effective protocols for preventing illegal alcohol sales.

In signing the letter, Attorney General Moody joins the attorneys general of Alabama, American Samoa, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

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