France’s consumer protection authority, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), said that 75% of products tested from major e-commerce platforms in 2025 did not meet European Union (EU) standards.
The DGCCRF said it checked more than 600 products bought from seven foreign online marketplaces last year, representing three times the volume tested in previous years.
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According to the authority, 75% of the products were non-compliant while 46% were both non-compliant and dangerous.
The inspections focused on categories the agency described as higher risk.
They included children’s products such as toys and childcare items, electrical goods, and items that come into direct contact with skin, including textiles and costume jewellery.
The DGCCRF said the investigation was part of a government e-commerce action plan launched in early 2025 and relied on anonymous test purchases to verify the authenticity of supply.
It said that among nearly 600 products already examined by the Joint Laboratory Service, the majority of non-compliance cases were connected to labelling defects.
The authority said dangerous products created risks such as choking or strangulation hazards, electric shock and fire risks, and health risks linked to excessive chemical substances.
It said: “Consumers must therefore be vigilant when buying products sold on foreign marketplaces.”
The DGCCRF said all products found to be non-compliant and dangerous had been reported to the relevant platforms, which must remove them and inform affected consumers.
It said 260 product references have so far been flagged, and more than 100,000 units have been withdrawn from sale, including 57,000 toys.
The findings have also been shared at European level to support wider product withdrawals and to inform the European Commission’s assessment of systemic risks linked to large platforms.
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the seller is responsible for product compliance while platforms must remove unsafe listings, notify consumers who bought affected products within six months, and carry out random checks to prevent relisting.
The DGCCRF said very large platforms, defined as those with more than 45 million monthly users in the EU, must also assess and mitigate systemic risks.
It added that enforcement work would continue, supported by an interministerial coordination unit established to strengthen oversight of online commerce and address related risks.
