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Zohran Mamdani sends cease-and-desist notice to Amazon, Walmart and 40 other companies; says: Stop selling these dangerous devices

Times of India Published Aug 7, 2026 Reviewed Aug 7, 2026 ✓ Reviewed by citations.press editors
Zohran Mamdani sends cease-and-desist notice to Amazon, Walmart and 40 other companies; says: Stop selling these dangerous devices
Zohran Mamdani issued cease‑and‑desist notices to 42 online retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Wayfair, and Temu parent PDD Holdings.
42 · online retailers Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City
Since 2017, more than 45 people have died while riding illegal e-bikes in New York City, and over 14 fatalities have been linked to crashes involving illegal stand‑up scooters.
more than 45 · people died while riding illegal e-bikesmore than 14 · fatalities linked to illegal stand‑up scooters New York City data, data source
Shoppers could save about 30% on a core basket of groceries under the city‑backed grocery store program.
about 30 · core basket of groceries savings city administration, mayor's administration
The city‑backed grocery store program proposes opening five stores, one in each of New York City's five boroughs.
5 · stores city administration, mayor's administration

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has issued a cease and desist notices to 42 online retailers including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Wayfair and Temu parent PDD Holdings, over the sale of allegedly illegal high-speed e-bikes and e-scooters. Mamdani said that the crackdown was important to protect public safety.

In a post shared on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) Mamdani stated, “Too many lives have been cut short by high-speed, illegal e-bikes and e-scooters. That’s why we are issuing cease-and-desist orders against 42 online retailers that have been selling these dangerous devices to New York City residents — including Target, Temu, Wayfair, Walmart, and Amazon.

The safety of New Yorkers is not for sale.” The city said the targeted devices exceed legal limits for speed, weight, or other safety requirements. The action follows a recent crash involving an illegal e-bike that killed a 17-year-old.Rising fatalities reason behind Zohran Mamdani’s notice to Amazon, Walmart and othersAccording to city data, since 2017 more than 45 people have died while riding illegal e-bikes, and over 14 fatalities have been linked to crashes involving illegal stand-up scooters.

Mamdani emphasized that companies profiting from such sales are putting New Yorkers at risk. “Every family deserves to know that when their loved ones leave home, they will make it back safely,” he said.Elon Musk is not pleased with Zohran Mamdani's grocery stores ideaRecently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his plan to open city-backed grocery stores that promise to sell some everyday food items at prices below traditional retailers.

Responding to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that questioned how the proposed stores would operate, Elon Musk dismissed the plan and accused Mamdani of misleading New Yorkers. “Mamdani is a thief and a liar, plain and simple,” Musk wrote in the post. The billionaire also argued that advances in AI and robotics, rather than government-backed programmes, would eventually make goods and services much cheaper or even free.What is Zohran Mamdani's grocery store planZohran Mamdani's administration has proposed opening five city-backed grocery stores, with one planned for each of New York City's five boroughs.

The city has allocated $70 million in capital funding for the programme. The first store is expected to open in Hunts Point in the Bronx by the end of 2027, followed by locations in East Harlem, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.Under the proposal, private grocery operators would handle day-to-day operations, including staffing, sourcing products and merchandising.

The city would provide locations, cover major occupancy costs and set pricing and operating requirements. Mamdani's administration says shoppers could save about 30% on a core basket of groceries. It estimates that the programme could save an average New Yorker about $90 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year.Get the latest technology news and updates.

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