CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

DOJ says eBay sold thousands of illegal, poisonous, and polluting products

Harri Weber
Wed, September 27, 2023 

Image Credits: Sean Gallup / Getty Images


The Department of Justice raked eBay over the proverbial coals today, accusing the online retailer of "unlawfully selling and distributing hundreds of thousands" of products that threaten the environment and public health.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DOJ said it's suing eBay for distributing restricted and mislabeled pesticides, defeat devices that mess with vehicles' emissions controls, and paint thinners that contain methylene chloride.

The agency's lawsuit alleges that eBay did so in violation of the Clean Air Act and other laws that regulate toxic substances. It was filed on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency.

The DOJ's statement on the suit is chock full of specific figures, alleging that eBay sold, "offered for sale," or distributed more than 343,000 defeat devices and 23,000 restricted, mislabeled or restricted pesticides.

In response, eBay said it "intends to vigorously defend itself" against the lawsuit. The retailer did not immediately respond to an email requesting more information on how it moderates the types of listings cited by the DOJ.

U.S. sues eBay over sale of harmful products


Wed, September 27, 2023 

The eBay app is seen on a smartphone in this illustration taken

By Jonathan Stempel

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The U.S. government on Wednesday sued eBay, accusing the online platform of violating the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws by allowing the sale of several harmful products, including devices that defeat automobile pollution controls.

EBay could face billions of dollars in penalties, including up to $5,580 for each Clean Air Act violation, according to the government's complaint filed in the federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

The Department of Justice said eBay illegally allowed the sale of at least 343,011 aftermarket "defeat" devices that help vehicles generate more power and get better fuel economy by evading emissions controls.

EBay was also accused of allowing the sale of at least 23,000 unregistered, misbranded or restricted-use pesticides, violating a 2020 "stop sale" order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The San Jose, California-based company also allegedly distributed 5,614 paint and coating removal products containing methylene chloride, a potentially lethal chemical linked to brain and liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"EBay has the power, the authority, and the resources to stop the sale of these illegal, harmful products on its website," the complaint said. "It has chosen not to; instead, it has chosen to engage in these illegal transactions."

In a statement, eBay called the lawsuit "entirely unprecedented" and said it would defend itself vigorously.

"Maintaining a safe and trusted marketplace for our global community of sellers and buyers is a fundamental principle of our business," it said. "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."

EBay shares were down 1.6% at $42.79 in late morning trading.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Bill Berkro)


DOJ sues eBay for selling environmentally hazardous products

Vehicle emissions ‘defeat devices’ and illegal pesticides allegedly appeared for sale on the site.


Will Shanklin
·Contributing Reporter
Wed, September 27, 2023 

picture alliance via Getty Images


The US Department of Justice sued eBay on Wednesday for its role in the sale of products that harm the environment. It accused the online retailer of selling or distributing hundreds of thousands of products that violated the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The complaint was filed in a federal court in Brooklyn, NY.

The DOJ’s complaint accuses eBay of selling, offering for sale or causing the sale of over 343,000 aftermarket “defeat devices,” which bypass vehicle emission controls. The devices, familiar to many from Volkswagen’s “Dieselgate” scandal, allow vehicles to cheat emissions tests, making them appear up to par on EPA standards when they aren’t — all in the name of a little performance boost.

“Aftermarket defeat devices significantly increase pollution emissions – including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and nonmethane hydrocarbons – that harm public health and impede efforts by the EPA, states, Tribes and local agencies to plan for and attain air quality standards,” the DOJ wrote today.

The complaint says eBay also unlawfully distributed or sold at least 23,000 pesticide products that were unregistered, misbranded or restricted-use. The DOJ says the EPA issued a “stop sale” order in 2020 (amended in 2021), after which eBay continued to violate it. “Examples include a high toxicity insecticide banned in the United States, restricted use pesticides that only certified applicators may apply and products fraudulently claiming to protect users against the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” the DOJ wrote.

The filing adds that eBay distributed over 5,600 products violating the TSCA Methylene Chloride Rule, a banned (potentially deadly) chemical used in paint and coating removers.

In a statement, eBay said it blocks and removes more than 99.9% of listings for products cited by the DOJ. “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 online retailer wrote. “The Government’s actions are entirely unprecedented and eBay intends to vigorously defend itself.”

The DOJ asserted that EPA standards will be enforced. “Our nation’s environmental laws protect public health and the environment by prohibiting the unlawful sale of defeat devices; unregistered, misbranded and restricted use pesticides; and unsafe products containing toxic chemicals such as methylene chloride,” said David M. Uhlmann from the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “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.”