France’s competition watchdog has reported that 46 per cent of goods it surveyed from popular e-commerce platforms did not meet the country’s compliance standards and threatened customer safety.

The Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) analysed nearly 600 high-risk consumer products sold on seven foreign marketplaces, each of which attract between eight and 38 million unique monthly visitors in France.

The body primarily targeted products aimed at children, electronic devices and products in direct contact with skin such as costume jewellery and textiles. Of these, nearly half were considered dangerous, actively posing a risk to consumer safety with problems ranging from excessive use of chemicals to suffocation risks from small, detachable parts in products intended for children.

In addition, 75 per cent were found to be non-compliant with French law, largely due to labelling defects.

The DGCCRF has reported all non-compliant and dangerous products to the platforms hosting them, which has resulted in the removal of over 100,000 units so far.

This information is shared at a European level, which the agency said is both to ensure products are removed throughout the bloc and to inform the European Commission’s analysis of how major marketplaces manage systemic risks.

The DGCCRF emphasised that since it targeted the highest-risk products, this information may not apply to all products sold on these marketplaces. However, it warned consumers to be vigilant when making online purchases, particularly when they are from non-EU marketplaces offering low prices.

In response to rising concern over compliance and safety standards on online marketplaces, the French government is establishing an interministerial unit dedicated to monitoring online commerce, led by the DGCCRF.

Some retailers have taken measures to ensure the safety of their products. Temu, which has faced legal troubles in Europe, the US and the UK over quality control, announced yesterday that it is integrating compliance mechanisms directly into its seller platform.

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