Shein Faces Stricter Regulations under EU’s Digital Services Act for Counterfeit Product Protection and Consumer Safeguarding

The European Union (EU) has announced stricter rules for Chinese online retailer Shein, which is known for offering affordable fashion items and attracting millions of European consumers to its platform. Shein has been officially classified as a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which makes it subject to more stringent requirements. With an average of over 45 million monthly users in the EU, Shein has surpassed the threshold for classification as a very large online platform.

As a result, Shein will need to implement extensive measures to protect consumers, including combating counterfeit products and violations of intellectual property rights. The company will also be required to submit annual risk assessment reports, focusing on the potential adverse effects on the health and security of consumers, particularly minors’ physical and mental well-being. These measures must be in place by the end of August.

Shein is one of 23 major online services affected by the DSA’s requirements, which initially targeted 19 large online platforms like Amazon, Zalando, Google Maps, Facebook, TikTok and others. Platforms like Pornhub, Stripchat and XVideos were added in December. Shein and other major online services must comply with the stricter regulations outlined in the Digital Services Act.

The EU Commission will closely monitor these platforms to ensure compliance with the new rules and protect consumers’ interests. The implementation of these regulations aims to create a safer and more secure online environment for European consumers participating in e-commerce activities.