Thus, the true extent and impact of the porch piracy problem is largely unknown due to a few factors.įirst, few porch piracy incidents are reported to police.
Despite the importance of e-commerce, the accompanying porch piracy has been largely unexamined. Porch piracy occurs when a package is stolen from a residence after it has been delivered by the carrier. The private sector has stronger incentives and better resources to tackle a problem of its own doing. This Comment argues that porch piracy could be more effectively combatted if the law facilitated more private sector action rather than relying exclusively on public prosecutions. This Comment examines the source of the porch piracy problem as well as the economic, legal, and moral incentives and resources in play. Despite these new laws and initiatives by state legislatures, there is little evidence that these laws cause their desired deterrent effect. In an effort to combat this new crime trend, many states have recently adopted new criminal laws aimed at deterring porch pirates, including Texas in 2019. However, as consumer habits have changed, the law has failed to keep up. A whopping 1.7 million packages are estimated to be stolen each day. As e-commerce has increased exponentially in recent years, so too has the porch piracy epidemic. Today, more than 50% of Americans have a package delivered at least once each week. Yet, you probably don’t have to imagine this scenario because 36% of Americans have had a package stolen. In the end, you are rationally apathetic: you receive your order a couple days later than expected, but it’s not the end of the world because you’re “addicted” to the convenience. Further, an Amazon Prime member spends on average $1,400 per year on Amazon, so it’s worth it to keep you happy. And why would it ask questions? Amazon is the tenth largest company in the world-it will hardly notice $85. Eventually Amazon gets back to you and says it will resend your $85 order with no questions asked. Confused and frustrated, you file a claim with Amazon because you never received your package. A couple of days later, Amazon e-mails you with a notification that your package has been delivered. Imagine that you order a number of things you need from Amazon as you do almost every week. The Public Sphere Is Ill-Equipped to Combat Porch Piracy Current Nonlegal Remedies to Porch Piracy Survey of Recent Legal Developments Aimed at Porch Piracy