EC fines AliExpress record €550 million for selling counterfeit goods


07/21/2026

The European Commission imposed a €550 million fine on AliExpress, an online retail site owned by Chinese tech leader Alibaba Group Holding, for offering unsafe and counterfeit items.



ccnull.de
This is an unprecedented penalty for breaching the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The EC states that AliExpress failed to adequately evaluate and address the risks associated with the sale of illegal, unsafe, or counterfeit products on its platform as mandated by the DSA.

"AliExpress did not sufficiently evaluate if it had enough personnel to inspect potentially unlawful products." The statement indicated that the company had also overvalued how well its system worked in recognizing these products and taking them off the platform.

Additionally, the regulator pointed out that AliExpress did not sufficiently evaluate how its recommendation systems affected the spread of illegal products. Numerous similar products were suggested and advertised to users on the platform prior to their elimination.

The European Commission, which began its investigation of AliExpress in 2024, has instructed the company to remedy the noted breaches.

AliExpress must submit an action plan for the EC's evaluation by October 20, 2026.The firm expressed its disagreement "with the EC's ruling and the excessive penalty." AliExpress is examining the European regulator's ruling and contemplating potential next steps.

source: reuters.com