NEW DELHI: The mobile application of Chinese fashion brand Shein was blocked as it was found detrimental to national security but sale of its products on other websites has not been covered under the law, the Centre informed the Delhi High Court on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) said the sale of Shein products on other websites is not covered under Section 69A (Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any computer resource) of the IT Act, and a blanket order for blocking their sale cannot be passed by the committee constituted under legal provision.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh was hearing a plea seeking to ban Shein products on the digital marketplace, Amazon. The ministry, in its reply filed through central government standing counsel, said that there was an advertisement on Amazon that publicised the sale of Shein products on its Prime day sale.
The PIL has sought a direction to Amazon to suspend its partnership with Shein until the ban imposed by the Centre is not lifted. It highlights that as per Amazon’s privacy policy, it could share data collected from users with registered sellers like Shein. The petition also sought a direction to the Centre to appoint a third party committee, with costs to Amazon, to make audits on the flow of data of the India consumers to Shein.