Toothless Tiger: EU Commission Punishes Temu |
Toothless Tiger: EU Commission Punishes Temu
Brussels has weaponized the Digital Services Act against the Chinese online platform Temu.
Thomas Kolbe | June 13, 2026
Brussels has weaponized the Digital Services Act against the Chinese online platform Temu. It is only a matter of time before Beijing retaliates with export restrictions on rare earths. The EU has become the useful punching bag of the great powers.
The European Commission has switched the Digital Services Act (DSA) into high gear. Behind the sprawling regulatory framework -- ranging from censorship measures on social media, often hidden behind slogans such as “hate speech,” to mandatory risk assessments, transparency requirements for recommendation algorithms, and alleged consumer protection -- the Commission has created enormous discretionary power over the private sector.
The latest victim of Brussels is the Chinese shopping platform Temu. The Commission imposed a €200 million fine on PDD Holdings, the Shanghai-based parent company of the platform. EU regulators accused Temu of failing to take sufficient measures against the sale of illegal and potentially dangerous products on its marketplace. In particular, the Commission criticized the absence of reliable risk analyses for certain product categories, including electronic devices such as chargers and adapters, toys, and household goods containing safety-relevant components. At the same time, Brussels alleged that the spread of unsafe products within the EU had not been effectively contained.
Without diving too deeply into the accusations themselves, one would not be stretching matters too far by suspecting that this case amounts to a political warning shot aimed squarely at Beijing. In response to Washington’s increasingly aggressive trade........