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In a recent development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has reportedly filed a lawsuit against eBay for allegedly selling environmentally harmful products and violating the Clean Air Act and other environmental regulations.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a federal court in Brooklyn, NY, alleges that eBay has sold over 343,000 aftermarket “defeat devices,” which are designed to circumvent vehicle emission controls, thus allowing manipulation of emissions tests and giving a fake appearance of compliance with EPA standards. As a result, eBay could face penalties of $5,580 for each violation of the Clean Air Act.
In addition to these allegations, there are concerns about other violations. Such as eBay violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This is because the lawsuit claims that eBay sold over 23,000 unregistered and toxic pesticides. Along with products making fake claims about protecting against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To make matters worse, eBay also allegedly sold 5,614 harmful paint and coating removal products. These allegedly contained methylene chloride, a chemical known to cause brain and liver cancer.
“The complaint filed today demonstrates that EPA will hold online retailers responsible for the unlawful sale of products on their websites that can harm consumers and the environment,” said David M. Uhlmann of the EPA’s office.
eBay’s response to the DOJ lawsuit
eBay, in response to the DOJ lawsuit, has denied all allegations and stated that it plans to “vigorously defend itself.” Moreover, the company emphasized its commitment to maintaining a secure marketplace for its buyers and sellers. Claiming it would allocate significant resources and provide proper training to its teams to prevent the listing of banned items.
“Indeed, eBay is blocking and removing more than 99.9% of the listings for the products cited by the DOJ, including millions of listings each year. And eBay has partnered closely with law enforcement, including the DOJ, for over two decades on identifying emerging risks and assisting with prevention and enforcement,” said eBay.
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