Legal Action Looms for Facebook and Meta Over Sale of Banned Nylon Manja
Nagpur, 13th January 2024: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) issued a stern warning to Facebook and its owner, Meta, during an oral submission to the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Friday. MPCB conveyed its intent to initiate both legal and criminal proceedings if the social media giant failed to promptly remove advertisements promoting the sale of banned nylon manja from its “Marketplace” page.
The MPCB’s move follows the counsel for Facebook and Meta’s inability to respond to the court regarding the measures taken to curb the sale of the hazardous thread responsible for numerous fatalities. Despite Maharashtra’s prohibition on nylon manja, illicit sales persist due to lax enforcement. The significance of MPCB’s submission is heightened as the kite-flying season is currently underway, leading up to the festival of Makar Sankranti.
Earlier in the proceedings, a division bench, comprising Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri, expressed displeasure when lawyers for Facebook and Meta arrived late for the hearing, even after being granted an adjournment. The judges criticized the tardiness, emphasizing that the court does not operate according to their convenience.
The bench also questioned both respondents on why action should not be taken against them for failing to comply with court directives to remove advertisements promoting nylon manja.
