AliExpress faces the possibility of a substantial fine following an investigation initiated by the European Commission on Thursday, focusing on the dissemination of potentially illegal and pornographic content. This marks the third such inquiry, following similar probes into social media platforms X and TikTok.
Designated as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the EU’s recently enacted Digital Services Act (DSA), AliExpress, along with 15 other tech companies, is required to take more decisive action against illegal and harmful content present on its platform.
The European Commission sent a request for information to AliExpress in November, expressing concerns regarding the potential distribution of illegal goods such as counterfeit medications, non-compliant food items, and ineffective dietary supplements. Additionally, the Commission is investigating potential hidden links facilitating the sale of non-compliant products in a manner not transparent to users, as well as the involvement of influencers in this context.
Commission officials clarified that, at this stage, they have not determined AliExpress to be non-compliant but suspect elements of non-compliance. AliExpress, facing a potential fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover, affirmed its commitment to abiding by all relevant regulations and working with authorities to ensure compliance with the DSA.
Furthermore, the Commission sent requests for information to several other tech giants, including Microsoft’s Bing, Google Search, Meta Platforms’ Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Elon Musk’s X, regarding their use of generative artificial intelligence. The Commission aims to ascertain whether these companies conduct risk assessments and implement mitigation measures to address potentially harmful generative AI content, particularly concerning misinformation and deep fakes relevant to elections.
The companies have until April 3 to respond to inquiries related to election protection and April 24 for other matters. The increasing adoption of generative AI systems has raised concerns about the spread of misinformation and fake news.
Additionally, the Commission requested information from Microsoft’s LinkedIn regarding the potential use of personal data for targeted advertising, following a complaint from civil society organizations. LinkedIn asserted its compliance with the DSA and expressed readiness to cooperate with the Commission.
The investigations into X and TikTok remain ongoing.