EU Hits Temu with $232 Million Fine over Sale of Illegal Products
EU regulators said Temu underestimated consumer risk and failed to curb illegal goods, marking the bloc’s second Digital Services Act fine.
- On Thursday, the European Commission fined Chinese marketplace Temu €200 million for breaching the Digital Services Act, citing failures to protect European Union consumers from unsafe and illegal products.
- Officials launched the investigation in October 2024 using "mystery shopping" tests, discovering chargers failing safety standards and baby toys containing hazardous chemicals or posing choking hazards.
- The Commission argued Temu's recommendation algorithms and influencer promotions amplified product risks, while European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen stated the company's risk assessment "underestimates concrete risks" and "lacks specificity."
- Temu must submit a compliance plan by August 28, 2026, or face further penalties, though a company spokesperson told TechRadar Pro they believe the fine is "disproportionate."
- Though this is the second Digital Services Act fine ever imposed, it is the first relating to physical products, unlike an earlier 2025 fine against X for service-related issues.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Temu hit with €200m EU fine over consumer safety failures
The European Commission has fined Chinese online marketplace Temu €200 million, saying it failed to properly protect consumers in the European Union from unsafe and illegal products sold on its platform.
The platform was found guilty of violating the Digital Services Act.
Whether baby toys, clothing or electronics: customers can order many products at low prices on Temu. Test purchases have shown that this also involves risks. The EU is now entering the market.
The European Commission has recently fined the Chinese platform Temu €200 million, which it accuses of failing to comply with the rules on digital services, in particular the sale of illegal and dangerous products. The actions of Que Choisir Ensemble are not unrelated to this decision.
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