European Commission Imposes €200 Million Penalty on Temu for Digital Services Act Non-Compliance
歐盟委員會因 Temu 不符合《數位服務法》，開出 2 億歐元罰單
Introduction
The European Commission has levied a €200 million fine against the Chinese e-commerce entity Temu following a determination that the platform failed to mitigate the distribution of hazardous and illegal products within the European Union.
歐盟委員會在認定該平台未能有效降低危險及非法產品在歐盟境內流通的風險後，對中國電商實體 Temu 處以 2 億歐元的罰金。
Main Body
The regulatory action follows a formal investigation initiated in October 2024, precipitated by complaints from the pan-European consumers' organization BEUC and seventeen national affiliates. The inquiry focused on Temu's obligations as a designated Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Evidence was gathered via an independent mystery shopping exercise, which revealed that a significant proportion of electrical chargers failed safety protocols and numerous infant toys exceeded legal chemical limits or contained suffocation hazards.
此次監管行動源於 2024 年 10 月啟動的正式調查，該調查是由泛歐消費者組織 BEUC 及其 17 個國家分支機構的投訴所觸發。調查重點在於 Temu 作為《數位服務法》(DSA) 指定的「超大型線上平台」(VLOP) 所應承擔的義務。透過獨立的神秘客購物測試蒐集證據後發現，很大比例的電器充電器未通過安全協定，且許多嬰兒玩具的化學物質含量超過法定限制，或存在窒息危險。
Beyond the presence of illicit goods, the Commission identified systemic failures in Temu's risk management framework. Specifically, the regulator asserted that the platform's recommender algorithms and influencer-driven promotional strategies may amplify the visibility of illegal listings—a variable the Commission claims Temu neglected to analyze. Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen characterized the company's risk assessments as lacking specificity and evidentiary grounding, describing them as superficial exercises rather than robust safety mechanisms.
除了非法商品的出現，委員會還發現 Temu 的風險管理框架存在系統性失效。監管機構特別指出，該平台的推薦演算法以及由影響者驅動的推廣策略可能會增加非法商品的曝光度——委員會聲稱 Temu 忽略了對此變數進行分析。執行副主席 Henna Virkkunen 將該公司的風險評估定調為缺乏具體性與證據基礎，形容其為表面化操作，而非強健的安全機制。
In response, Temu has contested the decision, characterizing the fine as disproportionate. The company maintains that the findings pertain to its initial 2024 assessment and do not reflect current systemic iterations. While affirming its commitment to the DSA's objectives, Temu indicated it is evaluating all available legal options. This penalty represents the second significant fine under the DSA, following a €120 million sanction imposed on the platform X in December.
對此，Temu 對該決定提出異議，認為罰金金額不對等。該公司主張調查結果僅針對其 2024 年初的評估，不能反映目前的系統迭代情況。儘管 Temu 確認致力於實現 DSA 的目標，但表示目前正在評估所有可行的法律選項。此次處罰是 DSA 下的第二次重大罰款，此前 X 平台於 12 月被處以 1.2 億歐元罰金。
Conclusion
Temu is required to submit a remedial action plan by August 28, 2026, while the Commission continues to investigate the platform's potential addictive design and data access protocols.
Temu 必須在 2026 年 8 月 28 日前提交一份補救行動計劃，而委員會將繼續調查該平台是否存在潛在的成癮性設計以及數據存取協定問題。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of Nominalization and Institutional Weight
To bridge the gap from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing actions and begin constructing states. The provided text is a masterclass in Nominalization—the process of turning verbs or adjectives into nouns to create an objective, authoritative, and 'dense' academic tone.
⚡ The Linguistic Pivot
Compare these two iterations of the same concept:
- B2 (Action-oriented): The Commission fined Temu because they decided that Temu did not stop illegal products from spreading.
- C2 (State-oriented): The European Commission has levied a €200 million fine... following a determination that the platform failed to mitigate the distribution of hazardous and illegal products.
In the C2 version, the action "deciding" becomes a "determination". This shifts the focus from the person deciding to the validity of the decision itself.
🔍 Deconstructing the 'Power Nouns'
Note how the text replaces simple verbs with complex noun phrases to signal high-level formality:
- "Precipitated by complaints" Instead of saying "Complaints caused the investigation," the writer uses precipitation (a chemical/meteorological term applied metaphorically) to imply a causal trigger.
- "Evidentiary grounding" Rather than saying "they didn't have enough evidence," the text treats grounding as a formal property of the risk assessment.
- "Systemic iterations" Instead of "the current version of the system," the use of iteration suggests a technical, evolutionary process.
🛠️ C2 Synthesis: The 'Density' Formula
To achieve this level of sophistication, apply this heuristic: Abstract the Verb Append a Modifier Embed in a Prepositional Phrase.
- Draft: Temu is being investigated because their design might be addictive.
- C2 Upgrade: ...the Commission continues to investigate the platform's potential addictive design.
The result: The prose loses its "storytelling" quality and gains "institutional authority," which is the hallmark of C2 proficiency in legal, diplomatic, and academic English.