French competition policy, consumer affairs, and anti-fraud agency (DGCCRF) announced on April 29th that 46% of the products inspected on overseas e-commerce platforms last year were found to be non-compliant and potentially unsafe, leading to over 100,000 products being removed from shelves.
On Wednesday, the DGCCRF published an inspection report on the safety of products sold on seven of the most popular overseas e-commerce platforms among French consumers. However, the specific platforms were not disclosed. According to the DGCCRF, in line with the e-commerce plan released in the spring of 2025, the agency doubled the number of online samples taken from overseas e-commerce platforms. The sampling results revealed a concerning rate of non-compliant products: 46% were found to be non-compliant and posed safety risks. These products have been reported to the relevant platforms, with over 100,000 items being flagged and taken down.
The DGCCRF urged consumers to remain vigilant when shopping on overseas e-commerce platforms. Particularly when shopping on non-European platforms, although prices may be enticing, these websites often lack adequate supervision in terms of product quality, safety, and compliance with European laws.
As e-commerce platforms have become an integral part of French consumers’ daily lives, the French government launched an action plan in the spring of 2025 to regulate and ensure the safety of e-commerce, doubling the number of samples taken from foreign markets and planning gradual increases by 2027.
In 2025, the DGCCRF conducted a sampling survey on over 650 consumer goods sold on seven foreign market platforms deemed to pose the highest risk to consumer safety. These seven platforms attract monthly independent visitors in France ranging from 8 million to 38 million.
Responsibility for product compliance on e-commerce platforms lies with the sellers, who are typically located in Asia. To ensure that the shipped products are consistent with those marketed to consumers or to prevent sellers from suddenly claiming stock shortages, DGCCRF investigators placed anonymous orders.
The target products of DGCCRF investigations mainly include children’s products such as baby care items and toys, electronic products that may pose actual accident risks, and products that come into direct contact with the skin, especially textiles and artificial jewelry.
To date, the Joint Laboratories Service (SCL) has analyzed nearly 600 products, with 75% found to be non-compliant, mainly due to labeling defects. 46% of the products pose safety risks to consumers, such as small detachable parts in children’s products that could cause choking or strangulation, electrical and fire risks in household appliances and electronics, and health risks from chemical contents exceeding permissible levels.
DGCCRF stated that because the sampling survey targeted the highest-risk products, the non-compliance and danger rates cannot be generalized to all products sold in monitored markets.
All products identified as non-compliant and dangerous are reported to the relevant platforms, which must remove them from the market and notify consumers. Currently, 260 non-compliant products have been labeled; over 100,000 items, including 57,000 toys, have been removed from shelves.
DGCCRF also mentioned that the relevant information has been shared within the European Union to ensure the removal of all dangerous products from the European market, providing insights for the European Commission to analyze how large e-commerce platforms manage systematic risks.