The European Commission has delivered an unprecedented blow to Chinese e-commerce: a €550 million fine against AliExpress for allowing counterfeit, dangerous and illegal products to circulate unchecked on its digital platform. It is the highest sanction imposed so far under European digital services regulations, and triples the fine Temu received just months ago.

Fewer moderators than seconds available

Brussels' diagnosis is stark: AliExpress did not have sufficient staff to properly monitor what was being sold on its platform. According to El País, workers had just 10 to 20 seconds to review the potential risks of each product. A clear mismatch between the volume of commerce and actual supervisory capacity.

The Alibaba group subsidiary specializing in digital retail failed to diligently evaluate the distribution of counterfeit items, dangerous cosmetics, unsafe toys and other prohibited products. When these items were detected, they remained on sale for weeks. Furthermore, the platform did not impose effective sanctions on merchants selling illegal goods.

The costliest sanction under the new law

This €550 million fine breaks down into two components: €110 million for deficient risk assessment and €440 million for failure to mitigate. Although the figures are large, they fall well short of the maximum penalty allowed by European law (6% of global revenue), which for the Alibaba group—which exceeded €120 billion in 2025—would be considerably higher.

It is the second major sanction approved by the EU for breaches in controlling illegal products:

• May 2024: Temu received €200 million
• Previously: Social network X was fined €120 million
• Now: AliExpress sets the new record with €550 million

All these companies are classified as "very large platforms" for exceeding 450 million users in the EU, which subjects them to stricter obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

What AliExpress must do now

The investigation began in March 2024, and Brussels issued the formal charge in June 2025. Now, before 20 October, AliExpress must submit a remedial plan detailing how it intends to fix the issues. The Commission will validate the document, as it has already done with X following its submission last week.

AliExpress has expressed its displeasure in a statement: it noted that it has worked constructively with Brussels, has made significant progress and has made voluntary commitments. The company stated it "disagrees" with both the decision and the amount, and is reviewing all available options, including possibly filing an appeal.

The context: Europe takes the reins

This series of fines marks a shift in European regulatory strategy. Just a couple of years ago, major Chinese digital platforms operated with virtually no supervision in the EU market. Now, the European Commission is exercising a level of control that was previously unthinkable, using the DSA as a legal weapon.

The message is clear: global size provides no protection from European jurisdiction if rules are not followed. And for thousands of Spaniards and Europeans who shop on AliExpress, these penalties mean that, at least on paper, there are increasingly more guarantees that the products they receive will not be counterfeits or dangerous items disguised as bargains.