- EU investigates AliExpress
- Concerns over illicit content
- Inquiry under Digital Services Act
The European Commission has initiated a formal investigation into the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress in response to allegations of illicit and explicit material being hosted on the site.
The European Union’s executive arm announced on Thursday that it would conduct an investigation into the e-commerce behemoth by the Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates that platforms enforce greater measures against harmful and illicit products.
The investigation aims to ascertain whether AliExpress has violated the DSA in “domains associated with risk management and mitigation, content moderation, the internal complaint handling mechanism, advertising and recommender system transparency, trader traceability, and researcher data access,” according to the commission.
The statement read that the sale of counterfeit medicines, food, and dietary supplements, as well as pornographic content that juveniles can still access on the website, are significant concerns.
How AliExpress suggests products to customers and the extent to which the website adheres to a regulation mandating a searchable repository of advertisements hosted on the platform are additional subjects of inquiry.
The action was taken in response to an initial “request for information” directive issued by the European Union to Alibaba Group Holding Limited, the proprietors of AliExpress, in November of last year.
The EU has challenged the strength of Big Tech companies in recent months with the Digital Markets Act (DSA) and its sibling legislation, the Digital Markets Act, which went into effect in August of last year.
Both policies have imposed stringent restrictions and obligations on the operations of tech titans. They have thus far targeted “very large” platforms in Europe, which boast a monthly user base exceeding 45 million.
Infractions may result in platforms incurring penalties of up to six percent of their worldwide revenue.
“The Digital Services Act is not just about disinformation, cyberbullying, and hate speech,” said Thierry Breton, chief of internal markets for the European Commission, on Thursday.
“Its purpose is to guarantee the elimination of illicit or hazardous products as well… “This cannot be negotiated.”
The commission also issued information requests to Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms on Thursday in regard to their utilization of generative artificial intelligence.
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Officials stated they will investigate whether the companies have risk mitigation strategies and conduct risk assessments to address potentially detrimental generative AI content.
Whether Microsoft’s LinkedIn advertising service permits profiling will be investigated separately in response to civil society organizations’ complaints.
The commission initiated formal investigations into TikTok in early February, citing allegations that the platform violated regulations about minor protection, transparency, and addictive design.
December also saw the announcement of investigations into Meta and X about their oversight of disinformation concerning Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament approved the Artificial Intelligence Act, the first set of regulations to govern AI. May is the anticipated month in which the European Council will approve the act.
