Earth Science News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
EU toughens safety rules for online retailer Shein
EU toughens safety rules for online retailer Shein
by AFP Staff Writers
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) April 26, 2024

The European Union on Friday added Chinese-founded online retailer Shein to its list of digital companies that are big enough to come under stricter safety curbs.

The company joins Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and others on a list of "very large online platforms" which have more than 45 million monthly active users in the European Union.

From the end of August -- four months after the designation -- Shein will have to abide by tougher rules set out in the Digital Services Act (DSA), one of the EU's landmark laws against online platforms.

They include implementing measures to "protect consumers from purchasing unsafe or illegal goods, with particular focus on preventing the sale and distribution of products that could be harmful to minors," the European Commission said.

Shein, which is headquartered in Singapore, has said it has around 108 million monthly active users in the 27-nation EU.

Reacting to the announcement, Shein said it would comply with the rules.

"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," said Leonard Lin, global head of public affairs at Shein.

Beyond the EU, Shein has faced criticism over alleged exploitation of low-paid factory workers and arguments it promotes hyperconsumerism and causes damage to the environment.

- EU probes -

Brussels has flexed its legal muscle against the world's biggest digital platforms, launching investigations against TikTok, X and Chinese retailer AliExpress.

Another Chinese shopping app, Temu, is expected to be added to the EU's list after announcing in April that it has around 75 million monthly active users after entering the EU market a year ago.

Under the DSA, the platforms must assess the specific risks posed to Europeans' rights and safety by the content they publish -- or the products on sale in the case of online marketplaces like Amazon and Shein -- and submit a report to regulators.

They must also provide an external audit once a year to verify compliance.

The largest platforms are also subject to increased transparency requirements, with the obligation to provide access to their data to researchers approved by Brussels.

The EU has taken tougher action against China-linked companies in recent months.

Popular video sharing app TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, has faced intense scrutiny in the EU -- and beyond.

While it faces a ban in the United States, TikTok is the subject of two investigations by the European Commission over alleged harm to minors.

On Wednesday, TikTok suspended its reward programme on its spinoff Lite app after the commission started a probe into its possible addictive features.

raz/rmb/cw

Meta

X

GOOGLE

Amazon.com

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Post-WWII order on 'brink of collapse': Amnesty head
London (AFP) April 24, 2024
Amnesty International said Wednesday that the post-World War II order was on the "brink of collapse", threatened by bitter conflict on multiple fronts to the rapid and unregulated rise of artificial intelligence. "Everything we're witnessing over the last 12 months is indicating that the international global system is on the brink of collapse," Amnesty's secretary general Agnes Callamard told AFP as the group released its annual "State of the World's Human Rights" report. "In particular, over th ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
EU toughens safety rules for online retailer Shein

Water release resumes after partial power outage at Fukushima plant

Post-WWII order on 'brink of collapse': Amnesty head

Ecuador approves extradition, anti-gang measures

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Cloud storage: Japan region apologises as wind blows away personal data

Chinese company aims to ramp up Serbia copper, gold mining

BHP bid for Anglo American spotlights surge in copper demand

This alloy is kinky

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
How light can vaporize water without the need for heat

Norway women bring seaweed to culinary heights in Europe

Rising sea levels threaten coastal infrastructure integrity worldwide

A leader in US seaweed farming preaches, teaches and builds a wider network

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Emperor penguins perish as ice melts to new lows: study

West Antarctic ice shelf stability threatened by feedback loop

New geological map redefines understanding of Greenland's subterranean rocks

From peak to plummet: impending decline of the warm Arctic-cold continents phenomenon

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Facing farmers' ire, EU lawmakers back rollback of environmental rules

El Nino threatens grain shortages in southern Africa

Wine growers 'on tip of Africa' race to adapt to climate change

Waste not want not: Peruvian drive to feed more with less

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
10 dead as floods wreak havoc in Kenyan capital

Floods wreak havoc in Kenyan capital

Victims of China floods race to salvage property

China issues highest-level rainstorm warning after deadly floods

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
After villages razed in Sudan, U.S. calls for immediate end to attacks in North Darfur

African leaders call for more cooperation on terrorism

Mauritanian defence minister in Mali after diplomatic row

Hundreds in Niger tell US troops to go home

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Evidence of long term human occupation in lava tube cave in Saudi Arabia

Schoningen Discoveries Highlight Wood's Vital Role in Early Human Technology

Activists slam new Hong Kong ID card policy for trans people

Paleolithic sites near water sources key to understanding early human hunting practices

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.