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eBay Reviews Safeguards After Gender Kits Flagged in India
8 Sep
Summary
- eBay removed listings for gender-prediction kits after Reuters flagged them.
- Selling gender-prediction kits is illegal in India under a specific law.
- India has strict laws against prenatal gender determination with prison penalties.
EBay is undertaking an internal review of its website's safety protocols following a report by Reuters. The review was prompted after several gender-prediction kits were identified as being available for delivery to India, a country where the use of such kits is prohibited by law and considered a criminal offense.
These kits, intended to determine a fetus's gender, are illegal in India due to concerns about female foeticide and a societal preference for male children. Violations of the country's 1994 prenatal gender determination law can result in up to three years imprisonment.
Reuters had alerted eBay to nine listings offering gender-testing kits, prompting the platform to remove them. eBay stated that these listings contravened both local regulations and its own policies, and it is now examining its controls, including shipping and checkout processes, for potential improvements.
In related actions, India has also issued notices to Google requesting the removal of search results linking to websites that promote or advertise prenatal gender prediction, highlighting the government's active stance on the issue.
