Walmart fined for shipping realistic toy guns to New York, violating state law

Core Points - Walmart has agreed to pay a total of $16,000 in penalties and fees due to violations related to the sale of realistic-looking toy guns in New York [5][6] - The settlement follows a previous consent order from nearly a decade ago, where Walmart and other retailers agreed to keep such toy guns off their shelves [2][3] - An investigation revealed that Walmart's online platform shipped at least nine realistic-looking toy guns to various locations in New York, with 46 imitation weapons purchased between March 2020 and November 2023 [4][5] Company Actions - Walmart is required to prohibit third-party sellers from offering or selling imitation guns that violate New York state law [6][8] - The company must implement policies to prevent third parties from selling prohibited items on its platform for distribution to New York [8] - Walmart will terminate the ability of third parties to list and sell toy guns if they violate the restrictions on three separate occasions [7] Legal Context - The New York law bans the sale or shipment of toy guns that resemble real weapons, specifically those in certain colors [3] - The law mandates that toy guns sold in the state must be brightly colored or made of transparent materials [3] - The Attorney General emphasized the importance of the ban for community safety and the accountability of businesses that violate the law [5]