Fashion website Shein now faces stricter rules under EU platform law

Fast-fashion retailer Shein has been designated under the EU’s online platform rules as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) due to a soaring number of European users, the European Commission said today (26 April).

The Singapore-based website will face stricter requirements under the EU’s Digital Services Act — and must adopt specific measures to protect users’ well-being, and monitor illegal activity such as counterfeit goods.

Shein now has over 45 million monthly users within the bloc and will have to comply within four months, so by the end of August, the commission said.

The company, founded in 2012, said in a statement that it is planning to meet its obligations.

“We share the Commission’s ambition to ensure consumers in the EU can shop online with peace of mind, and we are committed to playing our part,” Leonard Lin, Shein’s Global Head of Public Affairs, said. 

“We will continue to work constructively with the European Commission to ensure that we deliver a safe and compliant environment for our online community.”

Designations

The retailer is the 23rd platform to be named a VLOP under the new EU rules, whose general obligations took effect on 17 February. A first batch of sites named in April last year included Amazon, Booking.com, X and Facebook.

Euronews reported in March that e-commerce platform Temu, operated by Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, had also received additional questions about its business, as user numbers continue to rise.

Since the legislation entered into force, the Commission has started several enforcement and compliance checks, including two against video-sharing platform TikTok over how it protects child users.