Resale app blocks ads for clothes stolen during protests in France

The Vinted app, for buying and selling second-hand clothes, said last Monday (19) that it has reinforced monitoring of suspicious advertisements and removed publications of products that may have been stolen during protests in France.

Demonstrations in various regions of the country against the cost of living and the deterioration of public services ended in clashes and looting on Saturday (17). Violent groups clashed with police, in one of the most serious episodes of violence recorded in France in years.

The company said it took immediate action since the weekend to identify and remove ads suspected of being related to the withdrawals. Accounts that fail to comply with the platform's rules may be permanently banned.

"The sale of stolen products, or the solicitation of such products, is strictly prohibited on Vinted, and we have zero tolerance for these types of practices," a company spokesperson said in a statement.

Vinted also reported that it is working with French security forces and authorities. According to the company, inspection procedures will continue to be adapted to identify new risks and malicious behaviors.

The French minister responsible for small businesses, Serge Papin, stated on the social network X that government representatives would meet last Monday with e-commerce companies and members of the Interior and Justice ministries. The meeting was called after products stolen during the protests were advertised for sale on the internet.

According to government officials, the platforms Vinted, Amazon, eBay and TikTok were invited to the meeting.

The company did not say whether there was a similar increase in suspicious advertisements in Italy, where demonstrations were also accompanied by looting of luxury stores. France, the United Kingdom and Italy are Vinted's biggest markets.

Brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolex, in addition to the cosmetics chain Sephora, were also affected by episodes of violence in France and Italy. During the protests, protesters looted establishments and set fire to places, while the police used tear gas and water jets to contain the clashes.

Founded in Lithuania in 2008, Vinted became, in 2019, the country's first startup valued at €1 billion. In April this year, a share sale operation led by Swedish management company EQT Growth valued the company at €8 billion.

The platform prohibits the sale of stolen products and uses reports from retailers and users, in addition to other inspection mechanisms, to identify suspicious advertisements.