Amazon sued for greenwashing seafood labels, misleading shoppers

The Story in Brief

Amazon faces a proposed class-action lawsuit in Seattle federal court over claims that it misled consumers by selling seafood with labels such as 'dolphin safe', 'sustainable', and 'MSC Certified' without adequate proof of environmental standards. The plaintiffs, including Madeleine Rogow and Adam Sorkin, say they paid more for products believing the seafood was responsibly sourced. The case targets Amazon's role in marketing, not the brands themselves.

The complaint argues that most fishing vessels lack public tracking, and one-fifth of imported wild-caught seafood may not be sustainably sourced. Amazon has not publicly responded. The case raises questions about whether retailers can reliably verify green claims in complex global supply chains.