The European Commission has fined Chinese marketplace AliExpress €550 million for violating the requirements of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
According to the regulator, the platform failed to adequately protect European consumers from risks associated with the sale of prohibited and potentially dangerous products. Brussels believes that AliExpress improperly assessed threats related to the distribution of illegal goods, overestimated the effectiveness of its own moderation systems, and insufficiently considered the impact of recommendation algorithms on promoting such products.
This fine is the largest ever imposed by the European Commission for violating DSA requirements.
During the investigation, European regulators found that the system of sanctions against dishonest sellers was ineffective. Despite warnings, counterfeit goods, dangerous toys, and cosmetics continued to be sold on the platform weeks later. Additionally, some sellers deliberately misclassified products to bypass safety compliance checks.
"AliExpress's scale is not an excuse. To ensure consumer safety online, risks must be systematically identified and eliminated. We require AliExpress to meet this standard and take appropriate measures," said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
In determining the fine amount, the European Commission considered the nature of the violations, their duration, and the consequences for consumers in EU countries. According to the EC, the violations continued at least until June 2025.
AliExpress must submit a plan to the European Commission by October 20, 2026, to address the identified violations. Otherwise, the company may face additional financial penalties.
The European Commission began its investigation into the marketplace in March 2024. In June 2025, the regulator reported that it had identified numerous violations of DSA requirements concerning risk assessment for users, content moderation, transparency of advertising and recommendation algorithms, and seller verification.
In addition, AliExpress may face new legal proceedings. Earlier, French authorities announced their intention to go to court over the placement of adult products with childlike appearances on the platform.