The European Commission has imposed a record fine of €550 million on the Chinese platform AliExpress for systematic violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This is the largest fine issued under the EU’s new digital platform regulations.
The regulator concluded that AliExpress failed to ensure adequate oversight over the sale of illegal, counterfeit, and dangerous products. Key violations include:
Insufficient content moderation and a weak risk detection system;
Inadequate staffing for moderation teams;
Problems with monitoring recommendation algorithms that helped spread dangerous listings;
Ease of bypassing seller verification checks.
These issues persisted at least until June 2025.
European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen emphasized that risks in online shopping are not inevitable: “Consumers have the right to expect a safe environment online, regardless of where the platform is registered.” AliExpress is required to submit a plan to remedy the violations by October 2026. The Chinese company has already called the fine “excessive” and is considering appealing the decision