Brussels is investigating China-based platform AliExpress over allegations it broke a number of rules under the European Union’s Digital Services Act.
Announced by European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton on March 14, the probe comes just 24 hours after US politicians voted in favour of a bill that could ban social media giant TikTok there.
According to an EC press release, AliExpress is suspected of breaching 10 DSA articles, ranging from the provision of illegal content to failing to prevent children from accessing pornography.
#DSA now running at full speed
— today:🔹Investigation into #AliExpress on countering illegal products circulation
Request for information:
🔹 #LinkedIn on targeted advertising
🔹 8 v. large platforms on risks posed by #GenerativeAI
Enforcement teams fully mobilised 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/vMbpQh2pRW
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) March 14, 2024
The EC also claimed potentially dangerous goods such as fake cosmetics, medicines and supplements were on sale on the site.
Some of these were allegedly made available by internet personalities, who could theoretically profit through their sale thanks to the Chinese platform’s “affiliate programme”.
“The Digital Services Act is not just about hate speech, disinformation and cyber-bullying. It is also there to ensure removal of illegal or unsafe products sold in the EU via e-commerce platforms,” self-styled “digital enforcer” Breton said.
“As [a] platform reaching over 100 million users in the EU, AliExpress must fully comply with the DSA and take proportionate action to fight the dissemination of dangerous goods for consumers’ health and for minors, including by influencers, members of their ‘Affiliate Programme’.”
The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into TikTok over fears the platform could be “radicalising minors”. https://t.co/at21nhfoZ1
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 19, 2024
It is not the first investigation the EC has launched into so-called Very Large Online Platforms. TikTok and X are already being scrutinised under the DSA.
The March 14 announcement does come amid spiking tensions between Chinese tech platforms and the West. The US House of Representatives voted a day earlier in favour of a bill that could see TikTok banned from app stores in the country.
If the US legislation comes into force, TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance will be given five months to divest its shares in the platform. If it fails to do so in that time, American app stores will be forbidden from distributing it in the country.
While the proposal still needs to be passed by the US Senate – where it could face an uphill battle – China has already hit out at the move. “The handling of the incident by the US will allow the world to see more clearly whether the so-called rules and order of the US are for the benefit of the world or only serve the US itself,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said regarding the issue.
Another Chinese official accused Washington of not respecting “the market economy and the principle of fair competition”, despite most major US tech companies already having been banned from mainland China.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he wanted the Government to open an account on TikTok, apparently amid concerns about the hard-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party’s strong social media presence. https://t.co/A0r3cmiMqg
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) March 1, 2024
