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From instruments to soccer boots and from make-up to kids’s toys: no matter product you might be searching for on-line, there’s a good likelihood that the Chinese language on-line retailer Temu will seem on the prime of the search outcomes. The app is massively well-liked, however regardless of rising criticism of the corporate’s data-hungry and gross sales strategies, on-line retailers from outdoors Europe are below a lot lighter scrutiny than rivals. European them. That is evident from a stroll round Information hour.

Temu’s enchantment lies within the absolute discount costs. Underneath the slogan Store like a Billionaire and with the assistance of (apparently) one-time provides and video games at no cost items, the web retailer is aware of very a lot to interact adults and youngsters. Identical to in lots of European nations, Temu is at present probably the most downloaded app within the Netherlands.

Along with this reputation, issues are additionally rising: final month, seventeen European shopper teams, together with the Dutch Shopper Affiliation, launched a petition in. criticism towards Temu. Based on the teams, the web retailer doesn’t adjust to European regulation. Was known as Temu darkish patterns, prohibited strategies that have an effect on customers. Customers of the app additionally share lots of information, together with extra cellphone utilization. The Customers’ Affiliation warns younger folks: “Free isn’t free. You might be used as… to recapture.”

Temu says within the circumstances solely customers aged 18 and over can order merchandise. However the firm doesn’t conduct age checks and doesn’t warn that the platform is unsuitable for youngsters.

At Gravendreef Faculty in The Hague, first yr college students are taught in regards to the risks of Temu:

Nicole Stofberg teaches stage economics at The Hague College of Utilized Sciences and got here into contact with Temu by means of her 9-year-old daughter. “My daughter loves crafts and noticed a video that she wanted a nanotope. She discovered an internet site the place nanotans have been diminished from 17 euros to 1.98 euros. When she downloaded the app, she may spin a wheel of fortune and get one other 80 p.c off. “

He did not cease there, says Stofberg: “The consequence mentioned {that a} hundred kids have been additionally taking a look at it and that there have been solely twenty outcomes left. She mentioned: ‘Mum, I’ve to obtain this app now’. I believed: there is a catch.”

That snag was a python, Stofberg explains. “They use aggressive, unfair practices that make kids addicted. By making a disaster the place none exists. By giving prizes, by saying: ‘Hundreds of kids have seen this’. Youngsters are prone to that. So far as I am involved, Temu is the vaping of the e-commerce sector. “

After which there’s the insecurity of the merchandise. The European commerce affiliation of toy producers, Toy Industries of Europe (TIE), donated nineteen Temu toys to an unbiased group. take a look at. Nobody gave the impression to be following European guidelines. “A chilly that may get caught in a child’s throat, one other torch that has sharp bells on it that may be unfastened,” mentioned TIE director Lars Vogt.

The insufficient administration of product security at non-European webshops has been a priority of shopper teams for years. “These are very harmful merchandise,” mentioned a spokesperson for the Customers Affiliation. “It needs to be checked, randomly or systematically. After which there needs to be deterrent fines.”

However there isn’t any query of systematic management, based on inquiries from Information hour with completely different supervisors. “It isn’t potential in apply to take motion towards internet retailers from outdoors the EU,” mentioned the Dutch Meals and Shopper Product Security Authority (NVWA). “The complication is that it’s not excessive -platforms depend upon the merchandise that webshops supply on them.” Subsequently the NVWA can solely ask the platforms to take away harmful merchandise.

As well as, firms that manufacture their merchandise outdoors the EU, however promote them throughout the EU, are topic to fewer laws concerning product security, sustainability and dealing situations. This creates unfair competitors, TIE argues, but additionally elevated security dangers.

The European Fee not too long ago took a step: Temu and different non-European internet retailers will fall below the Digital Providers Actwhich incorporates apply darkish patterns forbidding That’s the reason the Customers’ Affiliation focuses its criticism on this. If Temu is discovered responsible, the nice might be as much as 6 p.c of the annual turnover.

The fee has additionally made a suggestion to reform customs laws. Dutch customs doing introduced at the moment that the variety of new merchandise launched annually has quadrupled over the previous 5 years, primarily attributable to e-commerce. They see the suggestions as “adequate to handle the issues related to e-commerce.”

However the Customers’ Affiliation additionally believes that buyers ought to take accountability themselves. “To be extra conscious of some of these platforms. We do not wish to sit within the entrance row for a dime, however select high quality.”

Temu says that the corporate pays consideration to product security. Most unsafe merchandise can be caught earlier than they’re bought. The corporate additionally says it’ll totally adjust to stricter European laws.