EU Accepts AliExpress Commitments to Combat Illegal Online Products
The European Commission announced on Wednesday that it has accepted binding commitments from Alibaba’s AliExpress to tackle the spread of illegal and pornographic materials on its platform. This follows a March investigation into AliExpress’s alleged failure to adequately address these concerns, which could have resulted in significant fines.
Despite the acceptance of these commitments, AliExpress may still face penalties. The Commission noted that the company underestimated the risks of disseminating illegal goods and failed to enforce sanctions against traders posting illicit content. AliExpress has the opportunity to respond to these preliminary findings.
AliExpress stated it has cooperated proactively with the Commission and remains confident that ongoing dialogue will lead to a compliant resolution.
The commitments include improvements to monitoring systems for illegal products, such as unapproved medicines, food supplements, and adult content. They also enhance transparency around advertising and recommendation algorithms, and facilitate trader traceability on the platform.