The European Commission has accused Chinese e-commerce giant Temu of failing to stop illegal and non-compliant products from reaching European consumers. The findings, announced Monday, stem from a investigation under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
According to the Commission, a mystery shopping test revealed that EU buyers are highly likely to encounter unsafe items—especially baby toys and small electronics. “Evidence showed that there is a high risk for consumers in the EU to encounter illegal products on the platform,” the Commission said.
It added that Temu’s risk assessment was weak. Instead of analyzing specific platform data, Temu relied on general industry information.
If the preliminary findings are upheld, the EU could impose a fine of up to 6% of Temu’s global annual revenue. The Commission may also order the platform to take immediate steps to fix the violations.
Temu can respond to the allegations in the coming weeks, though the EU has not yet set a firm deadline. A company spokesperson said Temu would “cooperate fully” with the investigation.
These findings focus on one part of a larger probe. Regulators are also reviewing Temu’s use of addictive design tactics, how it recommends products, and its data-sharing practices with researchers.
