European Commission Questions Retailer Temu on Sale of Illegal Products

“Today, the Commission has sent a request for information (RFI) to Temu under the Digital Services Act (DSA), requesting the platform to provide detailed information and internal documents on the mitigation measures taken against the presence and reappearance of traders selling illegal products on its online marketplace,” the Commission announced Friday.

Temu is a Chinese retail site known for offering a wide variety of clothes and household goods at incredibly low prices, often sold off with limited-time deals and offers meant to make the consumer click “buy now”. Their online app even offers games that allow you to win rewards. There have been complaints online from consumers that the products delivered often do not in fact match the description or are of cheap quality, and many of the products are intentional knock-offs of brand products. But the site and its low prices still entice many consumers.

Temu sells the products directly from Chinese suppliers and manufacturers, so unlike Amazon, they don’t own any of the products they sell.

The European Commission further asked the retail giant to clarify the measure they were taking to mitigate “risks relating to consumer protection, public health and users’ wellbeing.” The Commission had sent a similar request to Temu in June, regarding what measures they had taken against the sale of illegal products, and to ensure the protection of minors.