Big platforms hid behind 'we're just the marketplace, not the seller' for a long time. In the EU, that excuse just got a lot more expensive.
Fact
The facts: on July 20, 2026, the European Commission imposed a 550 million euro fine on AliExpress for breaching the Digital Services Act. Per the finding, the platform failed to fulfill its obligation to diligently assess and reduce the risk of illegal, dangerous, and counterfeit goods spreading through its service - among the examples: fake clothes, dangerous toys, and harmful cosmetics. The Commission ordered the platform to take measures. Quote from the announcement: 'Scale is no excuse; risks must be identified and addressed systematically so consumers can shop safely online.' Source: European Commission, Shaping Europe's digital future, 20.07.2026.
Bulgaria is in the EU - the DSA applies here too. Ever ordered a cheap toy or charger from a platform like this and wondered who's on the hook if something blows up? Here's the answer: the platform now carries part of the weight, not just the seller somewhere on the other side of the world. 550 million isn't a token sum. That's the price of 'we didn't check enough.'
Scale stopped being an excuse. It became a responsibility.
Here's what follows. This isn't the first such fine - the EU has already hit other big platforms under the same law. But it's a pattern: whoever runs the marketplace answers for what's sold on it. For the small honest seller, that's good news - the rules squeeze the cheap junk that undercuts prices with counterfeits. For the buyer, it's a reason to watch where they order from.
The visual is generated code-art, no third-party images.