Insufficient risk assessment
The European Commission has fined Chinese e-commerce platform Temu €200 million for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA). The heart of the accusation concerns superficial risk management: according to Brussels, Temu conducted its analysis on the basis of general guidelines relating to e-commerce, rather than on the specific risks of its offer. The result is that European consumers have a high probability of coming across illegal or dangerous products on Temu.
What the investigation found
The evidence was collected through an operation mystery shoppingan audit conducted undercover. The results were alarming: a very high percentage of the chargers tested failed basic safety checks, while a significant share of children’s toys had medium to high severity risks — including chemicals beyond legal limits and detachable components with choking hazards. To make matters worse, the platform’s promotion and marketing system itself — including programs with affiliated influencers — would have actually multiplied the spread of non-compliant articles.
A record fine, but not the maximum
At 200 million, Temu’s fine is the most severe ever imposed under the DSA to date, surpassing the 120 million imposed on Elon Musk’s The amount was determined taking into account the nature, severity and duration of the violation.
What happens now
Temu has until 28 August 2026 to submit a corrective action plan to the Commission. Once approved, the company will have a reasonable period to implement it. In case of non-compliance, periodic fines are foreseen. The intervention is part of a climate of growing institutional concern towards Chinese platforms: in addition to Temu, Shein and AliExpress are also under observation, while the college of commissioners will meet on 29 May to more generally address the dossier on Chinese competition and the risk of European deindustrialisation.
