AliExpress under fire: why the EU says the platform is not doing enough

The European Commission on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, formally accused AliExpress, a major Chinese online retailer, of a “systemic failure” to prevent the sale of illegal and hazardous goods on its platform.

This announcement, according to online media sources, marks a significant development in the EU’s investigation into the company.

It comes as Brussels intensifies scrutiny of e-commerce platforms under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The accusations come after an inquiry that began in March of the previous year.

EU regulators stated on Wednesday that AliExpress was not doing enough to stop the distribution of counterfeit clothing, unsafe toys for children, and other banned products.

With a user base of approximately 104 million people in the EU, the platform has drawn criticism for lacking sufficient content moderation resources to efficiently detect and remove illegal listings.

According to an EU official, AliExpress, has “underestimated the general risk associated with the sale of illegal products.”

AliExpress is the official went further to say that the general preventative systems the company has in place are ineffective, pointing to a broader failure across the platform’s operations.

These conclusions represent preliminary findings, pending further investigation and a formal response from AliExpress.

If the commission upholds these conclusions after reviewing additional evidence and company feedback, AliExpress could face substantial financial penalties, potentially up to 6% of its global annual revenue, as permitted under the DSA.

Despite the criticisms, AliExpress has made efforts to address some of the issues identified.

Notably, it has persuaded the EU to drop parts of the investigation by committing to crack down on so-called “hidden links.”

These are deceptive online pathways that redirect users from legitimate listings to illegal or unsafe products.

These reportedly include unapproved food supplements, medicines, and, disturbingly, even pornographic content targeting children.

In response, AliExpress has pledged to develop and implement a new system capable of detecting and blocking such hidden links.

It has also agreed to improve transparency around its advertising algorithms and make platform data more accessible to researchers — two areas that the EU had previously flagged as problematic.

The European Commission described these commitments as “legally binding,” meaning that failure to comply could lead to enforcement actions and financial penalties.

Regulators emphasized that these pledges must be fulfilled fully and consistently to avoid consequences under the DSA framework.

The Digital Services Act, which came into force to better protect internet users across the EU, places the most stringent requirements on very large online platforms, defined as those with over 45 million users.

This group includes major players such as Amazon, Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and now AliExpress.

The act is designed to combat harmful online content, prevent the sale of illegal and dangerous products, and increase platform accountability.

In its official response, AliExpress stated that it had been working constructively with EU regulators throughout the investigation.

The company said it welcomed the European Commission’s acknowledgment of the steps it had already taken to protect consumers and enhance transparency.

A spokesperson for the company said, “AliExpress has proactively engaged and closely collaborated with the European Commission throughout this process.

“The commission has recogniZed our committed approach to ensuring a high level of consumer protection and transparency, as reflected in the voluntary commitments we have offered and agreed upon.”

The company expressed optimism about the ongoing dialogue and suggested it was confident that the matter would reach a satisfactory and compliant conclusion.

“We are confident that a positive and compliant result will be achieved through continuing our mutual dialogue with the Commission to address any remaining concerns on the DSA,” the spokesperson added.

As the investigation proceeds, the spotlight remains on AliExpress to demonstrate that it can reform its platform and fully align with the EU’s digital safety standards or face significant regulatory consequences.

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