AliExpress has become the third marketplace to be investigated by the European Union for compliance with the Digital Services Act, after Twitter and TikTok.
Source. This was reported by TechCrunch.
During the investigation, the European Commission (EC) will assess whether AliExpress may have violated the Digital Services Act (DSA). It is a possible violation of ten articles of the law.
In particular, the EC will check how effective the internal complaint system is, how transparent the recommendation systems are, whether users (including unregistered ones) can report illegal content, and so on.
The authorities will also consider AliExpress affiliate programmes.
This is a programme for influencers who receive a commission on the sale of goods purchased after clicking on the links they post. The Commission believes that such activity may lead to the sale of goods of inadequate quality.
In addition, the EC is also concerned about child safety risks associated with the distribution of pornography and the sale of toys.
Once the review has begun, the EC will continue to "collect evidence" by requesting information, holding interviews, etc. It is not known how long the review will last.
TechCrunch notes that this is the third DSA-related investigation launched. In December 2023, the EU launched an investigation of X, and in February 2024, TikTok. These investigations are still ongoing.
Background. Meanwhile, the US Congress passed a law banning TikTok. The only way to avoid the ban is to sell the platform to an American company.