EU accuses China's AliExpress of failing to tackle proliferation of illegal goods on its platform

The European Commission, which has been investigating AliExpress, a major online shopping site under the Chinese Alibaba Group, has issued a statement saying that AliExpress is violating its obligations to prevent the proliferation of illegal products.

Commission accepts commitments offered by AliExpress under the DSA and takes further action

EU accuses China's AliExpress of breaching illegal product rules

EU accuses China's AliExpress of 'systemic failure' over illegal goods | Alibaba | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jun/18/eu-accuses-china-aliexpress-of-systemic-failure-illegal-goods

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, has been investigating AliExpress since March 2024 for allegedly multiple violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA) rules 'to prevent the proliferation of illegal goods and content.'

In its preliminary findings, the European Commission concluded that AliExpress has not adequately enforced its criminal penalties against merchants who repeatedly sell illegal products.

It also noted that AliExpress' moderation system was flawed, leaving it open to 'manipulation by bad actors,' and that AliExpress' risk assessments underestimated the dangers associated with illegal goods.

AliExpress is required to submit a written response to the investigation findings and could be fined up to 6% of its global turnover if found to be in violation of the DSA.

AliExpress said in a statement that it has 'actively engaged and cooperated closely with the European Commission throughout this process and will continue to do so in the future.'

Hena Virkkunen , Executive Vice President of the European Commission, commented: 'The measures taken today show how strong the DSA is in creating a safer and fairer online environment. We have been able to take concrete steps to ensure a high level of safety for EU citizens while maintaining a level playing field for platforms and traders in the EU market. This decision serves as an example of what the Commission expects when we raise concerns. We welcome AliExpress' efforts to make its platform safer for users, fairer for legitimate traders and better for everyone.'