Facebook Marketplace accused of endangering infants: What was being sold?
Facebook Marketplace Accused of Putting Infant Lives at Risk: Here’s What Was Being Sold
Facebook Marketplace is facing serious allegations of endangering infants’ lives by allowing users to post and sell recalled items that have been linked to over 100 infant deaths. Lawmakers and consumer safety regulators are calling for a complete ban on these items by Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
Despite numerous individual requests to remove these used items from Marketplace, more similar products continue to be listed, as reported by Fox Business. While Meta does honor individual removal requests, items that were recalled as far back as 2019 are still being found and made available for purchase by new parents.
One such item is the Rock ‘n Play Sleeper from Fisher-Price. This bassinet was recalled by the company in 2019 after 30 initial fatal incidents were reported. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), at least eight infants died in the sleepers after the initial recall, and approximately 70 additional fatalities have been reported since then.
The CPSC further stated that a total of 4.7 million Rock ‘n Play Sleeper units were part of the recall. Despite this, these recalled items are still being sold on Meta’s servers, according to lawmakers.
Another product that the CPSC reported as still being sold on Facebook Marketplace is the Boppy Newborn Lounger. This product was recalled in 2021 after eight infant deaths were attributed to its use. The CPSC warned that infants can suffocate if they roll, move, or are placed on the lounger in a position that obstructs breathing.
Regulators and Boppy have both cautioned parents against using the product, but listings for it continue to appear on Facebook Marketplace.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressing concern over the approximately 1,000 monthly requests to remove listings for these items. The lawmakers criticized Meta for not taking proactive measures to prevent such postings and highlighted the risk posed to users and their children.
Meta has acknowledged that the recalled products are being posted for sale on their platform, but it remains unclear if the sellers are aware of the recalls. They claim to take this issue seriously and remove listings that violate their rules.
Lawmakers have requested more information from the company regarding its regulation of Marketplace postings and have asked for a response by Thursday.
Source: The Western Journal
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
