The European Commission has imposed on AliExpress a record fine of 550 million euros for failing to meet its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). It is the largest sanction applied since this regulation came into force, and it arrives after months of investigations that revealed that the Chinese platform was not adequately assessing or mitigating the risks associated with the sale of illegal, unsafe, or counterfeit products on its European marketplace.
What has AliExpress done?
Brussels’ investigation uncovered that AliExpress had not implemented the control systems required by the DSA to identify and remove dangerous products from its catalogue. During the inspections, unsafe toys, cosmetics with banned substances, counterfeit clothing of well-known brands, and electronic devices without CE certification were found, all of it available for purchase by European consumers.
According to the Commission, AliExpress “did not adequately assess the systemic risks of its platform nor implement effective mitigation measures”, as required by Article 34 of the DSA. The platform was aware of the presence of these products but did not act with the necessary diligence to remove them.
The Digital Services Act: why this fine is historic
The Digital Services Act (DSA), in force since February 2024 for the largest platforms (Very Large Online Platforms or VLOP), establishes reinforced obligations of transparency, content moderation, and consumer protection. AliExpress was designated as a VLOP in April 2023, which obliges it to:
- Annually assess the systemic risks of its platform
- Implement measures to mitigate the sale of illegal products
- Provide notification and appeal mechanisms for users
- Undergo independent external audits
The 550 million euros — equivalent to 6% of AliExpress’s annual turnover in the EU — set a precedent that affects all the large e-commerce platforms operating in Europe, from Amazon to Temu.
Reactions and next steps
AliExpress has announced that it will appeal the sanction before the General Court of the European Union, arguing that the Commission has not taken into account the corrective measures that the platform had already implemented during the investigation period. The company maintains that it has invested more than 200 million euros in verification and control systems since 2024.
However, Commission sources have pointed out that “mere spending does not equal regulatory compliance”, and that the evidence gathered shows that dangerous products kept reaching European consumers even after the supposed improvements.
The fine on AliExpress is not an isolated case. Brussels has open similar investigations against Temu, Shein, and Amazon for alleged DSA infringements related to counterfeit and unsafe products. The first resolutions of these cases are expected before the end of 2026.
What does it mean for Spanish consumers?
For the millions of Spanish users of AliExpress, the fine has direct implications. The Commission has ordered the platform to:
- Reinforce product verification systems before publication
- Implement an early warning system for products withdrawn from the market
- Improve the complaint and return channels for defective products
- Designate a compliance officer based in the EU
In addition, consumers who have purchased potentially dangerous products on AliExpress could be entitled to collective claims protected by the DSA, a protection mechanism that the directive significantly strengthened.
The precedent that will change e-commerce
This 550 million fine is not just an economic sanction: it is a declaration of principles. The EU shows that the DSA is not a symbolic gesture, but a regulatory framework with teeth. Platforms operating in the European market, regardless of where they are headquartered, must take responsibility for what is sold through their services.
Brussels’ message is clear: in the European Union, consumer safety is above the commercial interests of the big tech companies. And whoever does not understand that will pay.
