Shein Faces Stricter Regulations in EU as ‘Very Large Online Platform’: Ensuring Consumer Safety

In the near future, Chinese online retailer Shein will face stricter rules in the European Union. The EU Commission has categorized Shein as a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act due to its average of over 45 million monthly users in the EU. As a result, Shein will have to take extensive measures to safeguard consumers, including preventing the sale of counterfeit products and addressing violations of intellectual property rights.

One of the requirements for Shein will be to conduct annual risk assessment reports with a focus on potential adverse effects on the health and safety of consumers, particularly minors. This includes evaluating their physical and mental well-being. By August 31st, Shein and other large online platforms must comply with the DSA’s regulations, which initially affected 19 major services such as Amazon, Zalando, Google Maps, Facebook, TikTok and others.

These regulations have been expanded to include more platforms such as Pornhub, Stripchat, XVideos and now Shein, bringing the total number of major online services falling under this category to 23. The goal is to create a safer and more responsible digital environment for European consumers when using online platforms.