Amazon has changed its policy to ban the sale of USB Type-C cables that don’t make the grade.
Google engineer Benson Leung has become known in recent months for his stance against the chaotic, unregulated USB Type-C cable scene. His research has pointed out a number of cables that don’t function correctly, or can even damage the host device.
One of the most high profile of these iffy cables Leung drew attention to was the one OnePlus offered to work in conjunction with its OnePlus 2 flagship smartphone. It worked fine with the phone itself, but could prove harmful to devices that employed fast charging technology.
Now Leung has pointed out a welcome turn of events in his ongoing battle. Amazon has changed the wording of its policy to effectively ban the sale of sub-standard USB Type-C cables.
Under the ‘Examples of prohibited listings’ header on its Policies and Agreements page, Amazon now includes “Any USB-C (or USB Type-C) cable or adapter product that is not compliant with standard specifications issued by ‘USB Implementers Forum Inc.'”
Related: Everything you need to know about USB Type-C
Of course, Amazon will now need to police its vast online stores to ensure that this standard is met. But at least now it has the grounds to ban any seller offering such potentially harmful tat.
“We all have to continue to be vigilant and call out any bad products we find on Amazon and other stores (both online and brick and mortar) as we find them,” said Leung on Google+.
Next, check out our guide on shopping for a smartphone:
Do you have any dodgy USB-C cable stories? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
