EU Hits AliExpress With Record €550 Million Fine, Orders Fix Plan by Oct. 20
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jul 20
EU Hits AliExpress With Record €550 Million Fine, Orders Fix Plan by Oct. 20
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jul 20
Summary
AliExpress must pay a record €550 million EU fine and submit by Oct. 20 a plan to stop illegal and unsafe goods from being sold on its platform.
A two-year European Commission probe found its detection systems missed many counterfeit and dangerous products, left flagged listings online for weeks, and failed to properly punish offending traders.
AliExpress, owned by Alibaba and serving 193 million users in Europe, called the penalty disproportionate, said it had invested heavily in safety controls, and plans to appeal.
The sanction is the largest yet under the Digital Services Act, though still well below the law's ceiling of 6% of revenue for Alibaba, which reported €122 billion in global turnover last year.
The case extends the EU's tougher policing of major platforms after Temu was fined €200 million earlier this year and X €120 million last year.
Beyond a record fine, can the EU force platforms to prioritize safety over profit without breaking their business model?
As the EU fines AliExpress, are we witnessing the start of a global regulatory war over e-commerce?
AliExpress Hit with Record €550 Million DSA Fine: EU Cracks Down on Systemic Failures and Algorithmic Risks
Overview
On July 20, 2026, the European Commission formally penalized AliExpress for significant and ongoing breaches of the Digital Services Act (DSA), with violations persisting at least until June 2025. The decision was driven by AliExpress’s systemic failures to uphold its DSA obligations, prompting the Commission to require a comprehensive action plan by October 20, 2026. If AliExpress fails to submit an adequate plan by the deadline, it could face further penalties. This enforcement highlights the EU’s commitment to holding major online platforms accountable and ensuring a safer digital marketplace for consumers.