Justice Department Accuses eBay of Selling Illegal Products
28 September 2023 - 2:22AM
Dow Jones News
By Dean Seal
The Justice Department has accused e-commerce giant eBay of
selling and distributing hundreds of thousands of products,
including potentially harmful pesticides, that violate
environmental laws.
In a complaint filed on Wednesday in federal court in Brooklyn,
the department alleges that eBay sold or permitted the sale of
343,000 after-market defeat devices, which are used to illegally
override motor vehicle emission controls and increase emissions of
pollutants like carbon monoxide.
The department claims eBay has also distributed at least 23,000
unregistered, misbranded or restricted-use pesticide products,
violating a stop sale order that the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency issued to eBay in 2020. eBay is also accused of having
violated a rule that prohibits the distribution of products
containing methylene chloride for paint and coating removal.
The San Jose, Calif.-based company fired back and said that the
department's actions are "entirely unprecedented" and that it plans
to fight the allegations.
"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," the company said in a statement. "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."
The lawsuit seeks civil penalties and an order prohibiting eBay
from further violations.
Write to Dean Seal at dean.seal@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 27, 2023 12:07 ET (16:07 GMT)
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