Amazon banning sale of non-compliant USB Type-C cables

Amazon has responded to the flood of dangerous USB Type-C cables that may pose a risk to smartphones, laptops, and other electronics that make use of the newly introduced reversible USB port. As stated on Amazon's Restricted Products guidelines, the sale of any USB Type-C cables or adapters that are not compliant with standard specifications issued by the USB Implementations Forum Inc. is prohibited.

The online seller apparently moved forward with the action due to warnings from Chrome OS software engineer Benson Leung, who had long been posting comments on the website warning users of non-compliant "fake" USB Type-C cables that do not meet official specifications. Leung had specifically recommended USB Type-C cables and adapters from OnePlus for those who wanted a quality inexpensive official cable.

Leung first noted that certain cables may not have been manufactured according to specifications when one of his own USB-C chargers damaged his Chromebook Pixel. The cable had incorrect transistors and was even wired incorrectly, which can damage the very devices that were supposed to be charged.

A growing number of newer smartphones and notebooks are transitioning to the more versatile USB Type-C port including the Nexus 5X, OnePlus 2, and XPS 15.

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