The US Justice Department has taken legal action against eBay, alleging that the online marketplace has been selling products harmful to the environment.
The lawsuit, brought on behalf of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), was filed in a federal court in New York and accuses the San Jose-based company of violating the Clean Air Act (CAA) and other environmental protection laws.
The complaint contends that eBay has sold restricted pesticide products and devices designed to bypass motor vehicle emission controls. According to the lawsuit, eBay has distributed more than 343,000 of these emission control-defeating devices and at least 23,000 unregistered, misbranded, or restricted-use pesticide products.
Assistant EPA Administrator David Uhlmann emphasized the EPA’s intention to hold online retailers accountable for the sale of harmful products on their platforms, stating that the complaint underscores this commitment.
US Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim asserted that the laws aimed at preventing the sale of products detrimental to human health and the environment extend to e-commerce retailers, just as they do to traditional brick-and-mortar stores.
In response to the lawsuit, eBay has stated that it will vigorously defend itself against the charges. The company highlighted its significant investment in resources, advanced technology, and comprehensive training to prevent prohibited items from being listed on its platform.
eBay also claimed that it successfully blocks and removes more than 99.9 percent of listings for the products cited by the DOJ, amounting to millions of listings each year.
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