- EU slaps Temu with second fine under Digital Services Act, after X
- This is the first of its kind for physical products
- Tests of electrical appliances and baby toys failed, sparking investigation
Chinese e-commerce giant Temu has been fined 200 million euros ($232 million) by the European Union for violating the Digital Services Act – a set of regulations designed to protect consumers from harmful content and banned products.
Temu became the second company to be fined by the DSA since it came into force at the end of 2022, just behind X which was fined €120 million.
This time, the EU fine relates to the sale of banned and dangerous goods, including electronic chargers that failed basic safety tests.
Temu fined 200 million euros DSA
European investigators conducted anonymous mystery shopping on the platform to uncover questionable chargers, as well as a number of baby toys that posed safety risks, either due to toxic chemicals or parts that created choking hazards.
Furthermore, the European Commission argued that Temu failed to take into account how recommendation systems and influencer promotions could “amplify [the] risks of distribution of illegal products.
“Temu’s risk assessment underestimates concrete risks, lacks specificity, is not based on solid evidence and is not comprehensive,” commented Henna Virkkunen, European Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
The company now has until August 28, 2026 to submit an action plan under Section 75 of the DSA – failing to do so could result in further fines.
A spokesperson for Temu said TechRadar Pro they believe that the fine is “disproportionate”.
“We will continue to collaborate in good faith with regulators and work towards a market that responsibly serves consumers, businesses and communities,” they added. “We are carefully reviewing the decision and exploring all available options.”
Temu also stressed that “the decision concerns [its] first DSA assessment in 2024 and does not reflect the current state of the situation. [its] systems”, having “engaged constructively” to “strengthen risk assessment, platform governance and user protection”.
Although this is the second DSA fine ever imposed, it is also the first of its kind involving physical products. An earlier fine X in late 2025 related to the platform’s services, including its blue check verification plans.
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