The European Union is introducing increased controls against the Chinese clothing giant Shein

“Protect consumers from illegal content.” This is the goal that Brussels sought to achieve by adding cheap ready-to-wear pioneer Shein to the list of very large online platforms subject to increased controls on Friday April 26th. These new restrictions on major platforms are part of the new Digital Services Legislation (DSA).

The ultra-fast fashion giant, founded in China in 2012, will be subject to these stricter, more restrictive measures from the end of August. The European Commission explains in a press release that she wants to set “Particular emphasis is placed on preventing the sale and distribution of products that could be harmful to minors”.

The application, a symbol of the social and ecological excesses of low-cost fashion, is therefore subject to the same rules as 21 other companies such as X, TikTok, Google or Facebook…

Shein wants to comply with European rules

In particular, these platforms must analyze the risks associated with their services in relation to the spread of illegal content or products and provide means to mitigate them. Analytical work that must be the subject of an annual report submitted to the European Commission, the EU’s digital policeman. Companies on the list are also required to provide access to their algorithms so that compliance with the regulation can be monitored.

In addition, they are obliged to undergo an independent external audit once a year at their own expense. Violators of the rules can be fined up to 6% of their global annual turnover or even banned from operating in Europe for serious and repeated violations.

In response to the classification as a very large platform, Shein reiterated its desire to comply with European rules on Friday. “We are committed to working constructively with the European Commission”the company assured in a published statement on the social network.