European Commission attacks Temu's practices
The European Commission has therefore opened an investigation against Temu, the famous and fast-growing Chinese online sales platform. In Europe, the application attracts millions of users, attracted by its unbeatable prices and its impressive selection of products. However, the European Union is concerned about the risks linked to the safety and conformity of certain items, particularly in the categories of toys, cosmetics and various equipment. We recently discussed this issue with Shein. These products sometimes do not comply with European safety standardswhich led to several complaints from consumer associations. Through this investigation, the Commission seeks to determine whether Temu complies with the requirements imposed by the Digital Services Act (DSA), a recent European regulation which aims to strictly regulate large platforms in terms of security and consumer protection.
Product safety risks on Temu
Upon his arrival in Europe in 2023, Temu aroused the vigilance of the authorities. Several associations have reported products that do not meet European standardsaccompanied by sometimes approximate descriptions, with unclear information, particularly on cosmetic ingredients. According to the first elements, certain items proposed would be potentially dangerous, such as toys containing small detachable parts or chemicals not mentioned. Faced with these reports, the European Commission wants Temu to strengthen its controls, under penalty of heavy fines of up to 6% of its global turnover.
An economic model based on digital addiction
In addition to security issues, the investigation also looks into aspects addictive
of the Temu application, which encourages users to buy more and more. Using a sophisticated algorithm, the app analyzes purchasing behavior to provide targeted recommendations, making browsing difficult for users to interrupt. The European Commission calls for greater transparency on the criteria for these recommendations and requires Temu to offer users the ability to deactivate certain tracking functions, in accordance with European legislation.
Europe united to strengthen control of online products
Faced with the rapid expansion of international, and particularly Chinese, online commerce, six Member States of the European Union, including France and Germany, are campaigning for strengthening cooperation between customs authorities in order to improve control of imported goods. They plead for packages, even of low value, to be subject to rigorous evaluation to block non-compliant products as soon as they enter the European market. This investigation into Temu constitutes a first step towards increased coordination.
Are you a regular user of this type of platform? What do you think of the products received in general? Tell us what kind of items you order there!
Updated 5:00 p.m. with Temu's response:
Temu takes its obligations under the DSA very seriously. We continually invest in strengthening our procedures for monitoring the conformity of products sold on our platform, in order to guarantee the interests and security of our customers.”
We are thus fully cooperating with regulators to support our common goal of a safe and reliable market for consumers.
To this end, we are notably engaged in discussions to adhere to the 'Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the sale of counterfeit goods on the internet', a voluntary agreement facilitated by the European Commission, which brings together the major players in the -commerce in Europe and rights holders (of goods of which counterfeit and pirated versions are sold online) in the fight against the listing of counterfeit products on platforms.
Counterfeiting is an industry-wide issue, and we believe collaborative efforts are essential to achieving our shared goals of protecting consumers and rights holders.
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