EU Fines Pinduoduo (Temu) 200 Million Euros for Allowing Illegal Product Sales
On Thursday, the European Union fined Chinese e-commerce giant Temu €200 million, citing the company's allowance of illegal products—such as hazardous baby toys and defective chargers—to be sold to European consumers.
Following an investigation launched by the European Commission in October 2024, it stated: "The company failed to diligently identify, analyze, and assess the systemic risks associated with illegal products sold on its platform, as well as the resulting harm to EU consumers."
According to the EU executive body, Temu’s actions violated consumer protection obligations imposed on large online platforms under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).
Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for digital affairs, emphasized: "Temu is a major player in the European market, with 130 million users. Therefore, when they sell prohibited goods, these items ultimately reach a large number of Europeans."
In a statement provided to AFP, the company responded: "Temu respects the objectives of the Digital Services Act and acknowledges the importance of clear and consistent rules for the digital economy. However, we contest the European Commission’s decision and believe the fine is excessive."
To substantiate Temu’s misconduct, Brussels primarily relied on purchase records conducted by its investigative team posing as ordinary consumers.
The European Commission reported that "a significant proportion of the ordered chargers failed basic safety tests."
Even more seriously, a substantial portion of the baby toys tested under identical conditions presented "moderate to high safety risks," such as suffocation hazards or levels of harmful chemicals exceeding permitted thresholds.
Brussels stressed that these findings have been corroborated by investigations carried out by national regulatory authorities and other consumer associations.
Source: rfi
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866442822416395/
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