Senators Ask FTC to Probe Amazon, Walmart AI on Made-in-USA Claims

Sens. Tammy Baldwin and Rick Scott on Sept. 17, 2026, asked the FTC to investigate Amazon's Alexa for Shopping and Walmart's Sparky over whether the assistants suppress U.S.-made product information and fail to flag misleading Made in USA claims. Their letter to Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson and Commissioner Mark R. Meador cited the Columbia Law School Center for Law and the Economy report "Made in America, Hidden by AI," from a think tank led by former FTC Chair Lina Khan. The senators wrote that when asked why there is no Made in USA filter, Alexa replied it would "redirect significant sales away from their largest seller base," and that Sparky said because "the FTC pursues relatively few cases against retailers," the incentive for proactive compliance is low. Baldwin and Scott wrote: "We all share the goal of strengthening American manufacturing and small businesses through initiatives such as Made in USA labeling, all while ensuring consumers receive accurate information about where the products they buy are made," and after review "strongly encourage the Commission to consider additional enforcement measures to deter such behaviour going forward." Amazon told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story: "Country-of-origin information, when available, is currently displayed on product detail pages, and we're continually working to improve Alexa for Shopping's ability to accurately provide this information to make it even more accessible for customers." Neither Amazon nor Walmart immediately responded to PYMNTS or Reuters. The FTC last year sent both firms letters on third-party Made in USA claims; Trump's March 2026 order directed the FTC to prioritize that enforcement. Khan's monopoly case against Amazon remains ongoing.