AliExpress logo in a platform store in Granada, Spain, in July 2024 Jon Nazca/Reuters/File The European Union imposed, on Monday (20), a fine of 550 million euros (3.2 billion reais) on the Chinese online commerce platform AliExpress, a subsidiary of the giant Alibaba, for allowing the sale of illegal products in the bloc, such as banned toys and counterfeit clothes. ?? Do you have any reporting suggestions? Send to g1 AliExpress was sanctioned for failing to comply with the European regulation on digital services, "which obliges it to diligently evaluate and mitigate the risks related to the sale of illegal, dangerous or counterfeit products on its platform", announced the European Commission, after an investigation lasting more than two years. This is the highest fine imposed by Brussels since the adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA) in 2022. "We do not agree with the decision issued today nor with this disproportionate fine, which do not reflect either our established principles or the significant and proactive measures we have implemented," the company said in a statement to AFP, without saying whether it will appeal the decision.
EU fines AliExpress R$3.2 billion for selling illegal products
AliExpress logo in a platform store in Granada, Spain, in July 2024 Jon Nazca/Reuters/File The European Union imposed, on Monday (20), a fine of 550 million euros (3.2 billion reais) on the Chinese online commerce...
The European Executive considers that the system for detecting prohibited products implemented by AliExpress did not work when it began its investigation in March 2024. "We detected a large number of counterfeit products, but also dangerous toys and cosmetics, which remained on sale for a long time", Henna Virkkunen, vice-president of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, explained to journalists. She also explained that the sanctions applied by the platform to sellers who violated the rules were "not effective", as their stores remained active for a long time afterwards. Malicious sellers were also able to easily bypass product verification systems because teams were understaffed. The sanction obliges the website to present, within three months, measures aimed at complying with the DSA, under penalty of periodic fines. Last year, the European Commission accepted the initiatives proposed by AliExpress to amicably resolve infractions detected during its investigations, but had warned that the platform was exposing itself to sanctions for these other reasons. "Since the entry into force of the DSA, AliExpress has been firmly committed to fulfilling its obligations and continues to do so," assured the Chinese platform. "Respect the same rules" As part of a parallel investigation, Brussels in May imposed a fine of 200 million euros (1.17 billion reais) on Temu, another Chinese platform very popular in Europe, for the same reasons, a sanction that the company contested. Billionaire Elon Musk's social network The EU has been tightening rules for months to protect its market against Chinese competition that is often considered unfair. The main measure has been a minimum tax of three euros (17.5 reais) on small packages imported into the bloc. However, the Commission denied targeting AliExpress because of its origin. "We are carrying out investigations into several online platforms, many of which are based in the United States, and many others in China, but also in Europe", and "we do not take into account their origin because everyone who wants to operate in Europe must comply with the same rules", highlighted Virkkunen. Another sales platform of Asian origin, Shein, is also in Brussels' sights.
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