Trade. Counterfeits, dangerous products: AliExpress in the European Union's crosshairs

AliExpress is not adequately managing the risks associated with the sale of illegal products, despite progress. The Brussels executive, the European Union's digital watchdog, believes that AliExpress "has breached its obligation to assess and mitigate the risks associated with the distribution of illegal products" such as counterfeits or items that do not comply with European safety standards.

This accusation is a first for this subsidiary of the Chinese internet giant Alibaba under the new EU Digital Services Regulation (DSA), which came into full force last year to better protect internet users. In a press release, the Commission noted in particular that the platform underestimated the risks due to the "limited resources" of its moderation system and that it did not "correctly" apply its sanctions policy towards sellers "who repeatedly publish illegal content."

It also points to "systemic failures" that make its moderation systems "ineffective and susceptible to circumvention by malicious sellers." AliExpress will now have access to the file and will be able to respond in writing to the preliminary findings. If the Commission's accusation is confirmed, the group could be fined up to 6% of its annual global turnover and placed under enhanced surveillance until corrective measures are implemented.

The formal indictment announced Wednesday follows an investigation opened by the Commission in March 2024. However, it comes with a positive assessment of many points raised a year ago, with the platform having proposed improvements validated by the Commission.

Thus, it notes that the Chinese distributor has responded to its concerns regarding the systems put in place to "monitor and detect illegal products, such as medicines , food supplements or adult content, which may harm the health of users and the well-being of minors." The mechanism for reporting such content is also satisfactory, as are the complaint handling systems.

Brussels also believes that AliExpress is now complying with the law on transparency of advertising and recommendation systems , traceability of sellers and access to its data by researchers. "Today's measures demonstrate the strength of the Digital Services Act to create a safer online environment," said European Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty Henna Virkkunen, who welcomed "AliExpress's commitments to becoming a safer platform for users."