The probe will assess whether Temu may have breached the DSA in areas linked to the sale of illegal products, the potentially addictive design of the service, the systems used to recommend purchases to users, as well as data access for researchers.

Coimisiún na Meán, in its role as Ireland’s digital services co-ordinator, provided information which assisted the Commission in making the decision to open formal proceedings.

Temu was designated as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the DSA at the end of May, having crossed the threshold of 45 million monthly active users in the EU. As of September 2024, Temu said it had 92 million monthly users in the EU.

Margrethe Vestager, the Commission’s executive vice-president for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said: “We want to ensure that Temu is complying with the Digital Services Act — particularly in ensuring that products sold on their platform meet EU standards and do not harm consumers.

“Our enforcement will guarantee a level playing field and that every platform, including Temu, fully respects the laws that keep our European market safe and fair for all.”