EU Slaps €200 Million Fine on Temu Over Unsafe Products

In a decisive move to protect European consumers, the European Commission announced it had imposed a €200 million ($232 million) fine on Chinese‑owned online retailer Temu. The penalty follows a six‑month investigation that uncovered a range of dangerous baby toys, faulty electronic chargers and other products sold through the platform that failed to meet EU safety standards.

The investigation, launched in October 2024, employed a mystery‑shopping exercise that identified a high proportion of chargers that did not pass basic electrical safety tests. Parallel testing also revealed that many baby toys carried harmful levels of chemicals or included small parts that posed suffocation risks.

Under the Digital Services Act, online platforms are required to proactively identify and mitigate systemic risks posed by illegal goods. According to the Commission, Temu’s risk‑assessment process was “not grounded in solid evidence” and ignored the scale of potential harm. The regulator warned that failure to comply could trigger further daily, weekly or monthly fines.

Temu disagreed with the decision, calling it disproportionate, and said it would submit an action plan by the end of August. The company emphasised that the findings relate to 2024 and do not reflect its present systems. It also noted that it had taken steps to strengthen risk assessment, platform governance and user protection.

For consumers and regulators alike, the fine signals a broader push for stronger oversight of low‑cost e‑commerce ecosystems that rely on Chinese suppliers. It also underscores the EU’s willingness to enforce its consumer‑safety framework, even against fast‑growing platforms that serve millions of users across the bloc.