Government asks Google to block search results for Peekaboo gender test kit

eBay has launched an internal review of its shopping site's safety measures after a major publication pointed out that several gender prediction kits were available for shipment to India—a country where their use is a criminal offense under a law aimed at curbing female feticide.

After being notified last week by the publication about nine listings on the platform offering gender test kits—including those from brands like SneakPeek and Peekaboo—via third-party sellers with shipping to India, eBay proceeded to remove the listings.

"These listings violated local regulations and eBay's policies; we are reviewing controls, including shipping and payment processes, to determine if further improvements are needed," eBay said in a statement to the publication.

"eBay has controls in place to prevent certain gender prediction products from being visible in India," the company added.

eBay, which has 136 million active buyers worldwide, is one of the globe's largest online marketplaces and operates exclusively through third-party sellers who list their products. Although it does not have a dedicated website for India, eBay offers shipping services to the country.

Platforms like Amazon and eBay have previously faced scrutiny in India for listing restricted products, such as banned wildlife-derived items and e-cigarettes.

Amazon's US website, which ships numerous products internationally to India, includes gender testing items in its catalog but does not offer the option to ship them to the country, according to an analysis by the aforementioned publication.

THE INDIAN LAW

India’s 1994 law on prenatal sex determination was enacted following a drastic drop in the number of girls born for every 1,000 boys—a phenomenon linked to the spread of ultrasound technology. Activists have pointed out that this technology allowed parents to determine the fetus's sex early enough to abort if it was a girl, thereby avoiding the need to raise a daughter.

The preference for male children stems from patrilineal inheritance customs, the expectation that sons will support their parents in old age, and the dowry demands made by the groom and his family during weddings—despite the fact that this practice has been prohibited for decades.

Violations of the law regarding prenatal sex determination can carry prison sentences of up to three years, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses. India's Ministry of Health did not respond to requests for comment from a major news outlet regarding the publication's findings.

The cybersecurity firm FalconFeeds was the first to alert Reuters to the listings on eBay. These listings offered sex-determination test kits priced between $6.99 and $156.59, with shipping to India.

One eBay listing featured the Peekaboo kit—manufactured by the US company DNA Diagnostics Center—promoted with the claim "know your baby's gender at 6 weeks... accurate and easy to use," alongside an offer for "FREE SHIPPING."

DNA Diagnostics Center told a major news outlet that it does not sell or distribute the kits for resale in India, adding that it has no control over the actions of independent third parties once the product has been purchased.

SneakPeek did not respond to a request for comment.

INDIA TARGETS GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS

Reflecting New Delhi's growing concern over these products, Peekaboo—despite not being officially marketed in India—was singled out in two notices sent by the Indian government to Google on August 9, requesting the removal of search results linking to the company's website.

The notices, reviewed by a major news outlet and issued by India's Ministry of Health, stated that Google's search engine in India was displaying "infringing information" that directed users to websites "promoting or advertising, directly or indirectly, the prediction of fetal sex."

Search engines can generally block links to specific websites so that they do not appear in search results for users in a particular country. In the notices, the ministry attached screenshots of three Google searches—"peekaboo test," "buy peekaboo test online," and "boy or girl"—that linked to the Peekaboo website. It also requested that Google put an end to this practice in compliance with Indian law.

A check conducted on Tuesday by a major media outlet revealed that all three searches yielded results linking to the Peekaboo website.

Google and India's Ministry of Health did not respond to inquiries from a major media outlet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kahekashan

[email protected]

Kahekashan is a passionate technophile with a keen eye for cutting-edge gadgets, emerging technologies, and everything in the digital realm. Raised in a Defence family with strong values and a background in literature, she has consistently pursued excellence in every endeavour. Her last full-time assignment involved content writing with the Indian School of Business.

Read More