Consumer protection: After a 200 million euro EU fine: What Temu now wants to change
The EU Commission accepts proposals for changes from the Chinese online marketplace after it came under criticism for unsafe products and violations of the Digital Services Act.
Quick Look
After an EU fine of 200 million euros for unsafe products such as baby toys and chargers, Temu has submitted measures to the EU Commission to improve consumer protection and algorithmic control.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The EU Commission accuses Temu of violating the Digital Services Act because illegal and unsafe products were sold on the platform. The process has been going on for almost two years.
The online giant Temu vows to improve consumer protection after an EU fine of 200 million euros and is submitting proposals for changes to the European Commission. In the future, the shopping portal will check whether its recommendation algorithms help illegal products to spread, as the Brussels authority announced. The commission initially accepted the proposals. Temu now has four months to implement it.
The EU Commission imposed a fine of 200 million euros on Temu in May. The authority accused the company of not sufficiently protecting consumers from illegal products and underestimating the risks on its platform. This is a serious violation of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA for short).
Many items failed during test purchases in 2025. Chargers failed basic safety tests. A “high percentage” of baby toys tested exceeded chemical limits or posed a choking hazard due to removable parts, according to Brussels internet watchdogs.
According to the EU Commission, Temu has now agreed to base the risk assessment on its marketplace on current and reliable data in the future and to tailor it precisely to its own service. The company also has to check its own recommendation algorithm in this context.
The company should use reliable key figures to prove whether its protective measures actually reduce the spread of illegal products. In addition, Temu must disclose where automatic and manual controls of dealers' offers on the online marketplace reach their limits. Finally, the group must investigate how retailers specifically exploit the platform's functions to spread illegal offers.
If the European Commission decides that Temu is not doing enough to comply with EU rules, it could also order daily fines for the Chinese company after the million-dollar fine from May. The case against Temu has been going on for almost two years.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Temu must implement the promised changes within four months.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will the proposed measures effectively increase product safety?
- How high could daily fines be for non-compliance?
