The European Union has imposed a record fine of 550 million euros on AliExpress, the Chinese e-commerce platform owned by Alibaba Group. The penalty follows a months-long investigation into the platform’s failure to curb the sale of counterfeit products, dangerous goods including toys and cosmetics, and items from illegal sources.
The fine was issued under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires large online platforms to take proactive steps to protect consumers. According to EU officials, AliExpress did not implement effective systems to remove illegal listings despite repeated warnings. The platform even ran public advertisements for such products.
Platform’s response and appeal
AliExpress strongly disagreed with the decision. – We disagree with today’s decision and the disproportionate fine, which does not adequately reflect our system and our significant, proactive improvements that we have introduced – the company said in an official statement.
Scale of the problem
The platform has approximately 193 million active users in Europe who make regular or occasional purchases. The EU investigation revealed that despite alerts, counterfeit clothing, harmful cosmetics and dangerous toys remained widely available on the site for extended periods.
The case sets a precedent for how the Digital Services Act can be enforced against major non-European tech companies operating in the EU market. AliExpress now faces not only the financial penalty but also potential further legal actions if it fails to meet compliance deadlines.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. The_Pixel / Shutterstock
