New Report! Hidden Links: Facilitating Criminal Activities While Exploiting E-Commerce

Hidden Links: Facilitating Criminal Activities While Exploiting E-Commerce highlights an emerging challenge in the fight against online counterfeiting. As e-commerce platforms continue to expand, they have also become attractive environments for criminal actors seeking to exploit gaps in digital marketplaces.

The publication focuses on hidden links-deceptive e-commerce listings that appear to offer legitimate generic products but ultimately result in the delivery of counterfeit goods. Because these listings do not display infringing images or keywords, they can evade commonly used automated detection tools, limiting the ability of platforms and rights holders to identify them at an early stage.

The report examines how this technique functions and how it is enabled by the misuse of online tools and communication channels, often beyond the direct visibility of e-commerce platforms. It underlines the challenges faced by platforms, brand owners and authorities in detecting and addressing hidden links at scale.

To respond to this problem, the publication outlines potential solutions, including the development of AI-enabled tools capable of identifying discrepancies between listed and delivered goods, as well as enhanced cooperation between e-commerce platforms, social media companies, brand owners and law enforcement. By strengthening coordination and leveraging innovation, the report points to practical pathways for more effective action against online counterfeiting.