Jun 3, 2026
Shopify is one of Canada’s biggest tech success stories. Since launching in 2006, the now $148-billion (USD) company has grown to become a major player in online commerce worldwide. Today more than two million stores are active on the platform, according to Store Leads.
Business owners ranging from global retail giants to small mom-and-pop Pokémon card shops use Shopify to process payments.
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But for several years, in an obscure corner of the platform, something deadly was afoot. And by the time it was detected, for many families, it was too late.
Kenneth Law, a former cook at Toronto’s upscale Royal York Hotel, admitted in an Ontario court that he used multiple Shopify sites to sell lethal substances and equipment to people who planned to attempt suicide. CBC reported that he recruited customers by using an alias on an online forum where people talk about suicidal ideation. He then directed people to his online stores.
Shopify has not responded to Moneywise’s request for comment.
At a hearing last week, Law pleaded guilty to aiding in 14 people’s deaths in Ontario between 2021 and 2023, and admitted responsibility for 79 other deaths in the U.K. Authorities in Quebec, the U.S. and New Zealand have also linked him to several deaths.
Per the Canadian Criminal Code, each count of aiding suicide carries a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. He will not be prosecuted for the deaths in the U.K. Authorities there say there’s a risk an investigation could fail due to the country’s double jeopardy laws.
According to CBC reporting, Law shipped more than 1,200 packages to 41 countries and is linked to at least 147 deaths worldwide.
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In a statement last Friday, Craig Turner, deputy director of investigations for the U.K.’s National Crime Agency said, “Kenneth Law believed he was untouchable in his criminal business, which exploited vulnerable people around the world at a time when they needed support the most.”
E-commerce platform Shopify under the microscope
According to CBC, Assistant Deputy Crown attorney Cindy Nadler told the court that Shopify and Paypal transferred Law more than $100,000 USD between January 2020 and May 2023 for sales on his websites.
Shopify is now facing scrutiny as people wonder how these harmful and illegal businesses remained on its platform undetected for so long.
In 2023, a Shopify spokesperson told CBC, ”Once we were notified about a potential violation of our Acceptable Use Policy, we immediately reviewed and took action to terminate all stores associated with Kenneth Law.”
Stephen Mitchell is the father of one of Law’s victims. His son, Stephen Mitchell Jr., died in 2023 at the age of 21. He spoke to the press after Law’s hearing on Friday, saying Law’s prosecution “should’ve happened much, much sooner. And perhaps dozens of young lives of the vulnerable, like my son, might still be alive today.”
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, help is available. To contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States, or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Canada , call or text 988 free of charge to speak to a certified listener.
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Em Norton is a Content Specialist at moneywise.com. They have been with the company since 2022.
