Amazon stopped 99 percent of counterfeits. But how many legit sellers did it flag in the process?

Amazon’s latest Brand Protection report shows just how hard they’re doubling down on their fight against “bad actors.”

They're going against counterfeiting by harnessing AI and strategic collaborations.

They've built a team of machine learning scientists and seasoned investigators to fortify their platforms.

Basically, they're using AI, data, and legal action like never before.

And not gonna lie, their tech is impressive.

Over 99% of counterfeit listings were stopped before brands had to act.
More than 24,000 legal actions were filed.
2.5 billion units verified through Transparency.

These are the kind of numbers that sound like a win for everyone.

But here’s what sellers are wondering:
How many of those “stopped” listings were actually from bad actors?
And how many were from legitimate sellers flagged by mistake?

The same AI that catches counterfeits is also flagging listings for terms like “enhancement,” “botanical,” or “scented" and it doesn’t always get it right.

Some sellers spend weeks (sometimes months) trying to reinstate compliant products that were correct from day one.

So while Amazon is investing millions into fraud detection, many brands are stuck navigating support tickets and broken appeals systems.

The intent is good. The progress is real.
But if you’re a small or midsize brand, it’s easy to feel like collateral damage in the process.

Yes, the fight against fakes matters.
But so does the fight for fair treatment of honest sellers.

If AI is going to run the front lines, it needs oversight, nuance, and better escalation paths.

Otherwise, brand protection turns into brand frustration.