The EU's growing list of online platforms under investigation

Yahoo

5 days ago

The list of online platforms suspected of breaching the EU's rules keeps growing. The latest to join the list: Temu.
The European Commission says that under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) the Chinese e-commerce platform doesn't properly assess risks arising from illegal products sold on its website, including baby toys and small electronics.
'The Commission has adopted a preliminary decision under the Digital Services Act legislation when it comes to TEMU, where we have announced to that online marketplace that according to us it is in breach of the DSA when it comes to risks on the marketplace relating to the selling and dissemination of illegal products,' Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Euronews.
"The DSA is one of our tools to protect consumers across Europe. To protect them from what, when it comes to online marketplaces? Illegal products that are sold online. Algorithmic content that is thrown at you and that you don't even determine if you want to see it or not. When it comes, for example, to advertisement or gamification of certain systems on these online platforms. These are risks that we need to mitigate. To protect our consumers online," he added.
Not only Temu
The probe comes amid broader concerns that some online marketplaces allow the sale of goods that would not meet EU safety or regulatory standards if sold in physical stores.
So far, including Temu, the Commission has opened 14 proceedings against 10 online platforms. Each case focuses on different aspects of compliance, ranging from product safety to content moderation and the protection of minors.
The ongoing proceedings include X, which has been issued with preliminary findings over its compliance with obligations concerning the 'dissemination and amplification of illegal content.'
There are also ongoing procedures against Tik Tok concerning, among other things, its risk management of addictive design and harmful content. Also under the spot is the protection of minors, on which preliminary findings have been reached, and election integrity. The TikTok Lite case was closed after TikTok offered commitments.
The Commission found AliExpress (AliExpress) was not taking enough measures to counter illegal products. The Chinese company finally offered commitments and the Commission issued preliminary findings on other grievences.
And according to an ongoing file, Meta's services Instagram and Facebook are also under scrutiny in cases related to the protection of minors, as well as on election integrity.
Finally, there is a case open for the websites Stripchat, Pornhub, XNXX, Xvideos related to the protection of minors.
Consumer Groups Call for Action
The wave of investigations comes amid growing pressure from consumer protection groups, who argue that the DSA must be backed by real enforcement to have meaningful impact.
'The preliminary findings of the European Commission on Temu is a positive first step for European consumers. Last year, the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) launched a complaint against TEMU because they are not doing enough to protect consumers against illegal and unsafe products that can be bought through their website,' Agustín Reyna, director general of European Consumer Organisation BEUC, told Euronews.
'What is at the stake is the safety of consumers. Because when consumers buy something online, they expect it to be safe. They don't wonder whether there are illegal chemicals being used in the production of these goods, or whether a certain product or household appliance might explode, or that a kid might choke with a toy. They expect the product to be safe, regardless of how cheap it might be, but they expect it to be safe. What we have identified with our members of all the national consumer organisations -that they have conducted mystery shopping exercises, testing over these products through Temu - is that you can buy and be exposed to a significant amount of illegal products. And the company today is not doing enough to protect consumers,' he added.
According to the consumer organisation, the challenge now is to try to make the law work in practise. The legislation has been in place for nearly a year and a half, but so far none of the Commission probes have been wrapped up and no sanctions have been imposed yet.
But with these platforms becoming very popular with Europeans the topic is urgent. 'Just to give you an idea, every year the number of parcels that enter into the EU through TEMU doubles. So we're talking about a significant number of products that enter the EU which are not compliant. And consumers do not know about that,' concluded the Director of BEUC.
France Moves to Regulate Ultra Fast Fashion
The investigation into Temu also comes at a time when EU member states are stepping up efforts to rein in ultra-fast fashion — a business model many experts say fuels overconsumption, environmental harm, and the exploitation of legal grey zones.
In May 2024, France proposed groundbreaking legislation targeting ultra-fast fashion platforms. The French government explicitly named companies like TEMU and Shein as examples of platforms disrupting sustainability efforts, using aggressive social media marketing and gamified shopping to encourage impulse buying and throwaway culture.
While the French proposal is still under negotiation, it reflects a growing consensus that ultra fast fashion — especially when delivered through unregulated online platforms — poses not just consumer safety risks, but also serious environmental and social concerns.
It seems that a European Response is needed to a global problem. The convergence of issues — from illegal product sales to environmental destruction — has prompted calls for a more unified EU response. Experts say that relying on fragmented national enforcement is no longer viable in the face of global platforms that operate across borders, largely unchecked.
As the Director General of BEUC put it, 'Europe can't win this battle one country at a time.' The Digital Services Act is a start. But for many, it's just the beginning.