The European Commission confirmed the penalty on Thursday, saying the Chinese e-commerce company did not properly identify and manage risks linked to products sold to EU consumers.

The case sits under the Digital Services Act, a law that governs large online platforms.

The Commission opened its investigation in 2024, shortly after Temu expanded further across Europe. It followed complaints from the European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) and 17 of its national members.

Regulators said those complaints pointed to unsafe goods circulating widely on the platform.

Officials also carried out mystery shopping tests. A high number of phone chargers failed basic safety checks, while several baby toys also contained chemicals above legal limits or created choking risks.

The EU said Temu did not go far enough in assessing how its systems might increase those risks. It pointed to product recommendation tools and influencer-linked promotions that could push more unsafe goods into view.

Henna Virkkunen, a European Commission official responsible for technology, criticised the company’s approach.

She said “the company’s assessment of its risks leaves regulators, users, and the public in the dark about the true scale of potential harm posed by illegal products sold on Temu,”

“Now it is time for Temu to comply with the law,” she added.

The Commission said the platform must now submit a compliance plan by August 28, 2026. Officials will review the plan two months after submission to decide if Temu has met its obligations.

Temu responded to the decision and rejected parts of the findings. A spokesperson said: “Temu respects the objectives of the Digital Services Act and the need for clear, consistent rules across the digital economy. However, we disagree with the European Commission’s decision and consider the fine to be disproportionate,”

The company added: “The decision relates to our first DSA assessment in 2024 and does not reflect the current state of our systems. Temu engaged constructively with the Commission throughout the process and has since taken further steps to strengthen risk assessment, platform governance, and user protection,”

Temu also said it would continue to work with regulators and consider its options.

The penalty is the second enforcement action under the Digital Services Act. It is also the largest fine issued so far under the law. The first was against X, which faced a penalty over transparency issues.

The law requires large platforms to identify and reduce systemic risks. It also demands stronger oversight of illegal or harmful products, along with clearer information on how recommendation systems operate.

Beyond Temu, the EU investigation also revealed issues about low-cost imports from China. Officials have been placing focus on large online marketplaces as part of trade and consumer protection efforts.

Other platforms are also under review. Shein and AliExpress are both facing separate investigations linked to unsafe or counterfeit goods.

Meanwhile, JD.com is under examination over its planned purchase of German retailer Ceconomy, with regulators questioning whether foreign subsidies may distort competition.

There is also a policy debate inside the EU, with officials discussing new trade and industrial measures aimed at balancing competition with Chinese e-commerce firms and protecting local businesses.

The issue has also reached the global level. In the United States, Temu stopped shipping directly from China after a policy change closed a duty exemption on low-value imports.

Shein accused Temu of using thousands of its product photographs to sell copied versions of Shein-branded clothing on Temu’s platform. 

The company told the court that Temu tried to benefit from Shein’s market position by reproducing images created by Shein employees.

“This was an attempt to steal a march on an existing participant in the market, and Temu has sought to obtain, we say, an unfair advantage,” Shein’s lawyer Benet Brandreth said in court.

The trial is expected to run for two weeks and is part of a case between both companies across several countries, including the United States.

During proceedings, Shein’s legal team said Temu had withdrawn part of its defence covering almost 2,300 disputed photographs. Brandreth compared the decision to “the defendant waiting to see if the witnesses will turn up, only to plead guilty”.

Temu denied the allegations and argued that Shein’s lawsuit was not simply about protecting copyright. Its lawyers said the case was aimed at slowing down a rival that has grown rapidly in global online retail.

Temu, owned by PDD Holdings, has also filed a counterclaim against Shein. The company is seeking damages after Shein secured a court injunction that forced thousands of Temu product listings offline.

At the centre of the counter-claim is Temu’s accusation that Shein tied suppliers into exclusive agreements, making it harder for competitors to access manufacturers. That competition law dispute is expected to go to trial next year.

The court case is happening at the same time that both companies are facing pressure from regulators in Europe and the United States. Authorities have increased investigation over supplier treatment, product safety, labour standards and the flood of low-cost parcels entering Western markets.

Temu is currently under investigation in the European Union over possible breaches of product safety regulations. Shein, meanwhile, is still being questioned about labour practices within its supply chain as it works towards a possible London stock market listing.

The companies have built huge international businesses by selling ultra-cheap fashion, accessories and household goods directly to shoppers online. Their rapid growth relied heavily on customs exemptions for low-value imports, which helped keep prices low.

That advantage has started to get weaker. The United States removed its de minimis customs exemption for low-value e-commerce parcels in 2025, increasing costs for retailers shipping directly from China. 

The European Union is also preparing to end similar exemptions in July 2026, a move that could affect the expansion plans of both companies.

The issue has already spread beyond Britain. Shein sued Temu in the United States last year over alleged copyright infringement, while Temu later filed its own case accusing Shein of disrupting its marketplace through what it described as “unwarranted notices”.

Although the London case focuses on copyrighted photographs and copied designs, the result could stretch further. 

The company’s response follows reports that the NDPC had commenced an investigation into the platform’s data processing activities to ensure compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.

In an official statement made available to Techeconomy and aimed at providing clarity on its regulatory standing, Temu emphasized its commitment to local and international data protection standards.

The company confirmed that it is already in communication with the Commission to resolve any outstanding concerns.

“At Temu, protecting user privacy and data security is a top priority. We are committed to complying with applicable laws and regulations in our data practices,” the statement read.

Temu further confirmed its active participation in the process, stating:

“We can confirm that Temu has received the inquiry and is engaging with the Commission. We will continue to engage in open and constructive dialogue with the NDPC to address any questions or concerns.”

The Regulatory Context

The NDPC, led by Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner  has recently intensified its oversight of foreign digital platforms operating within Nigeria.

The commission’s mandate is to ensure that the personal data of Nigerian citizens, ranging from contact details to financial information, is collected, stored, and processed in a transparent and secure manner.

For e-commerce platforms like Temu, which handle massive volumes of consumer data, regulatory alignment is critical for maintaining operational licenses and consumer trust in Africa’s largest economy.

Market Implications

Temu’s proactive confirmation of its engagement with the NDPC is seen by industry analysts as a strategic move to de-escalate potential regulatory friction.

In recent years, Nigeria has shown a no-nonsense approach to big tech compliance, as seen in previous engagements with platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and various fintech entities.

By opting for constructive dialogue, Temu appears to be positioning itself as a compliant player, looking to secure its long-term interests in a market where digital retail is projected to grow significantly by 2026.

For the Nigerian tech ecosystem, this development highlights the growing influence of the NDPC. Investors and foreign firms must now factor in Data Compliance Costs as a non-negotiable part of their entry strategy.

Temu’s willingness to engage openly could serve as a blueprint for other international retailers looking to navigate Nigeria’s evolving regulatory landscape without disrupting their growth trajectory.

In this review, we look at four outstanding applications that have dominated download charts and metrics of user engagement throughout 2025.

This review provides insight into what makes these platforms resonate with modern consumers.

Trending Apps and Their Key Features

1#. Focus Friend: For Productivity Tracking

Focus Friend, designed by online educator Hank Green and Honey B Games, has been named Google Play’s app of the year and topped the charts in Apple’s App Store.

The app gamifies the traditional productivity timer with a virtual bean companion that knits socks and scarves while a user is focusing on a task.

Its Deep Focus Mode temporarily blocks distracting applications during focus sessions by connecting to screen time settings on iOS.

What sets Focus Friend apart from other productivity tools is its emotional design; interrupting a focus session makes the bean drop its knitting needles and display visible sadness, it leverages the desire of users to avoid disappointing the virtual bean.

The core features of this app include live activity tracking on locked screens, break timers following the Pomodoro method, hundreds of decorative items to customise the bean’s living space, and various bean skins, ranging from coffee beans to edamame.

The interface is designed to be simple yet captivating: users earn virtual currency after completing focus sessions that they can spend to decorate their room.

The subscription tier is $1.99/month or $29.99/lifetime, although the lifetime option is the most popular among users.

The design philosophy of the Focus Friend app reflects a broader trend in the direction of wellness applications that place user mental health above monetisation via ads.

The co-founder, Hanks Green in his own words made it clear that the app was meant to have “an ad-free experience because the mobile ad ecosystem kinda blows”, and this positions Focus Friend both as a productivity tool and as a good example of ethical app development.

#2. Temu: Viral E-commerce Platform

Launched in September 2022 by PDD Holdings, Temu has since expanded its operations to more than 90 markets around the world and surpassed AliExpress as the second most-used e-retailer for cross-border sales globally. The app was created to connect consumers directly with manufacturers, cut out intermediary costs, and offer products priced 50-90% below normal retail price.

The app comes with AI-driven dynamic pricing algorithms combined with factory-direct sourcing to keep prices more competitive.

According to SensorTower data, in 2023, Temu reached almost 338 million downloads, while the gross merchandise volume of the platform reportedly reached around $112 million per day.

The platform’s catalogue has more than 250 product categories, ranging from electronics and fashion to home goods and beauty products.

Temu’s user interface has some gamification elements that are inspired by casino mechanics, including wheels of fortune, countdown timers for limited offers, and mini-games such as Farmland and Fishland that promise free items and discount coupons. These features are meant to create urgency while engaging the brain’s reward circuits.

It also encourages frequent app opens and longer browsing sessions. At Google I/O 2025, the platform was hailed as an early adopter of Web UI primitives, with integration of these technologies leading to a 10% increase in user session duration and a 15% rise in page views.

The app also offers standard shipping for free by partnering with major logistics carriers like UPS, FedEx, and USPS. Recent modifications in supply chains available on the app have allowed Temu to move beyond just Chinese imports, and 57% of US consumers have shopped on the site, a notable degree of market penetration despite high regulatory scrutiny worldwide.

#3. ChatGPT: AI Assistance and Productivity

The ChatGPT mobile app has generated $1.35 billion in revenue through July 2025. This is over six times compared to the same period in 2024.

This conversational AI assistant has evolved from just a simple chatbot into a very useful productivity platform with capabilities spanning creative writing, data analysis, and real-time problem-solving.

In recent updates, OpenAI introduced the ChatGPT Pulse for Pro users; this feature performs research and delivers personalised updates based on your chat history, connected calendar apps, and user feedback. Also, an advanced voice mode is now supported in the application, including real-time conversations, screen sharing capabilities, and even the ability to upload videos to interact naturally with your words instead of writing queries.

The “Projects” feature allows users to organise conversations thematically, upload relevant files, set custom instructions, and maintain context across multiple sessions.

This is now enhanced with improved memory that can refer back to recent conversations for free users to create responses that make more sense and with relevant context.

The interface of the app allows for seamless transitions between devices, with conversation history synchronising across iOS, Android, and desktop platforms.

OpenAI also recently introduced an Apps SDK that enables developers to build their own interactive applications running inside ChatGPT conversations, with applications responding to natural language prompts and featuring interfaces directly within the chat environment. This extension places ChatGPT not just as a tool itself but as an ecosystem where third parties can reach more than 800 million users.

#4. Luminar Neo: Professional Photo Editing

Among Google Play’s best apps for 2025, Luminar Neo has redefined photo editing with its smooth workflow across devices, powered by an AI toolkit.

The application comes with professional-grade capabilities that can be accessed without a subscription, just like traditional editing software.

Core features of this app also include generative AI tools like GenErase to remove unwanted elements, GenExpand to extend photo boundaries, and GenSwap to replace specific elements with AI-generated alternatives.

Then, there are also specialised enhancement tools like Sky AI, which can smoothly replace skies, Relight AI for dynamic lighting adjustments, and Skin AI for automated portrait retouching.

The Luminar Ecosystem, introduced in the Fall 2025 update, syncs edits between mobile and desktop applications, enabling users to start editing on smartphones and transition smoothly to computers for fine-tuning.

Other additions include Luminar Spaces for creating shareable online galleries and the Light Depth tool for precision relighting, further extending the utility of the application beyond individual editing into collaborative and presentational contexts.

The mobile version of this app can support RAW file editing and includes Apple Pencil compatibility for iPad users, allowing precise, hands-on control.

The platform can function both as a standalone editor and as a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom, meaning that integration into existing workflows doesn’t require a full software migration.

Benefits and Real-World Use Cases

Each trending application addresses different user needs. Focus Friend addresses the modern challenge of smartphone distraction. The app operates by flipping the typical relationship that exists between users and their devices.

Students who are studying for exams will appreciate the longer spans of focus time, while professionals handling any complex projects can make good use of the Pomodoro-like break timers that can help them avoid burnout. The app’s approach tends to work in cases involving people with ADHD.

The most visible impact of Temu, however, is how household budgets can be managed, where consumers who need value can find products at very affordable price points.

The direct-from-manufacturer model helps to support small business owners’ inventorying products, crafters buying materials for creative projects, and families who are furnishing their homes on tight budgets.

On the other hand, ChatGPT serves a growing variety of functions, from students who write research papers with live citation support to developers debugging code with conversational explanations about complex algorithms.

Marketing teams can also brainstorm concepts for their campaigns on the app, and entrepreneurs can use the business plan refinement capabilities. Also, the new voice mode features can be very indispensable on commutes or physical activities because they allow for hands-free productivity that can’t be done with a text interface.

Luminar Neo empowers photographers of every skill level, from hobbyists who want to improve vacation snapshots to professionals managing client media.

The cross-device compatibility enables modern workflows in which initial selections can happen on mobile devices during shoots, while detailed editing is done on a desktop workstation.

Conclusion

These four applications are successful not just because of the features they have but due to their understanding of fundamental human behaviours: our need to get things done, our attraction to value, our preference for natural interaction, and our creative drives.

The applications do not come with common distractions or challenges like annoying ads or unnecessarily complex interfaces, instead, they seek sustainable relationships with their user bases.

Cameras, lighting, microphones, and tripods are usually way more expensive than the pocket of young Nigerian creators. However, a shift is happening. 

Online marketplaces are making once-expensive gear more affordable, and in doing so, they are changing the ambitions of a new wave of Nigerian talent.

Funmi, an upcoming creator with big plans, knows this story first-hand. For months, she researched microphones and lighting kits, only to conclude that her dreams might remain stuck at the idea stage. 

That changed when she stumbled across Temu, a platform she initially explored out of curiosity after hearing about its free item offers. What she found was beyond discounts, she found access.

When her package finally arrived, it contained everything she needed to begin. A wireless microphone for crisp audio, a bright LED light to eliminate shadows, and a tripod strong enough to hold her phone steady. Each piece was affordable, but together, they represented a turning point.

“Be expecting more from me,” Funmi said with excitement. “Now that I have a microphone, I can’t wait to start creating content! To more content creation and growth!”

The microphone was her first trial. It transformed her recordings, making every word clear and impactful. With the tripod and lighting set to lift her visuals, she could finally focus on ideas rather than technical limitations. What was once a financial wall became a doorway.

This same pattern is playing out across Nigeria’s creator sector. Luxebygech, a clothing vendor in Lagos, faced customer complaints about unclear videos. Instead of scaling back, she turned to Temu and found her fix in a wireless microphone. 

The results were immediate. “Now I will be more audible,” she said, a simple but important change for her online business.

It isn’t just about single purchases. Data shows that affordability is driving loyalty. According to an IPSOS survey, 80% of respondents worldwide believe Temu delivers value for money, reporting average savings of 24%. More than half of the surveyed users said they would recommend the platform to others.

For Nigerian creators, these statistics carry personal weight. Access to affordable tools is more than convenience; it’s a leveller. It means that with grit and creativity, one does not need a huge budget to compete. It means that a fashion vendor or a young storyteller can transform passion into polished work and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with global peers.

Nigeria’s creative economy has never lacked ambition or talent. What it lacked was accessibility to the tools that turn passion into professional output. Now, with platforms like Temu bridging that gap, the future belongs to creators who can dream big while spending small.

As part of this move, Temu now serves on INTA’s prestigious Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, a platform for collaborative action among industry leaders.

The International Trademark Association is a leading global network comprising over 6,700 organizations and 37,000 IP professionals across 181 countries.

Temu’s membership signals its deepening commitment to creating a trustworthy e-commerce environment and working alongside global stakeholders to combat the rise of counterfeit goods in digital spaces.

“INTA welcomes Temu’s willingness to engage in anticounterfeiting initiatives,” said Alastair Gray, director of Anti-Counterfeiting at INTA. “Through active participation in our Anticounterfeiting Workshop and Takedown Certificate Program, Temu contributes to the development of best practices that protect both IP rights and consumers.”

Temu Takes the Lead in IP Conversations at INTA 2025

At the 2025 INTA Annual Meeting held in San Diego this May, Temu played a visible role by moderating the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee Roundtable.

The session brought together global brand owners, digital platforms, and regulators to discuss collaborative strategies, new technologies, and policy frameworks for improved counterfeit detection and IP enforcement.

“Joining INTA and serving on its Anti-Counterfeiting Committee underscores Temu’s dedication to IP integrity,” said a Temu spokesperson. “We are focused on building alliances that raise industry standards and ensure consumer protection through proactive enforcement.”

Investing in Technology and Transparency

Temu has already taken major strides in building a safe and IP-respecting marketplace since its 2022 launch. Key initiatives include:

• Strict seller vetting and mandatory compliance training
• 24/7 algorithmic surveillance enhanced by manual review
• A dedicated IP Protection Portal and Brand Registry to streamline takedown requests
• A fast-response internal enforcement team to resolve claims quickly and accurately

Temu also actively participates in INTA’s Online Platform Notice and Takedown Certification Program, which educates platform operators on effective takedown workflows and helps improve the quality of rights-holder submissions.

A Shared Vision for Safer Digital Commerce

By aligning with INTA’s mission, Temu is not only protecting brands but also reinforcing consumer trust.

As online shopping continues to grow globally, the company’s investment in collaborative IP enforcement reflects a broader industry shift toward transparency, responsibility, and safety in e-commerce.

Following a mystery shopping operation led by the Commission, inspectors found that a number of items sold on Temu, including baby toys and small electronics, did not meet EU safety standards. Many of these items were direct threats to users, such as choking hazards, electrocution risks, and potential exposure to toxic substances. 

These findings were supported by the European consumer watchdog BEUC, which has long raised alarms about the unchecked inflow of unsafe imports via online platforms.

The Commission concluded that Temu’s October 2024 risk assessment was both flawed and superficial. Instead of analysing data specific to its own operations, Temu allegedly relied on vague, industry-level information to justify compliance. That approach, the Commission noted, is not acceptable for a platform with the scale and influence of Temu.

“The evidence showed that there is a high risk for consumers in the EU to encounter illegal products on the platform,” the Commission stated. “Specifically, the analysis of a mystery shopping exercise found that consumers shopping on Temu are very likely to find non-compliant products among the offer, such as baby toys and small electronics.”

Temu, which is classified as a Very Large Online Platform (VLOP) under the DSA, is subject to stricter regulatory expectations, particularly around product safety, algorithm transparency, and user protections. These platforms are not only required to remove harmful content and goods quickly but must also actively mitigate systemic risks on their platforms.

If the preliminary findings are upheld, Temu could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover, a penalty that could easily exceed $1.5 billion, given the financial muscle of its parent company, PDD Holdings. This would represent one of the most forceful enforcement actions under the DSA since its implementation.

In response to the Commission’s findings, Temu in an official statement said, “We will continue to cooperate fully with the Commission.”

Before now, EU also flagged the platform’s gamified shopping experience, pointing to potentially manipulative features such as fake discounts, time-limited rewards, and addictive design patterns aimed at encouraging compulsive buying. 

These dark patterns, tactics designed to nudge users into decisions against their best interest, are being investigated for violating transparency and ethical standards under EU law.

Furthermore, regulators are probing how Temu’s recommendation systems work. The core question is whether the platform gives users the option to receive non-profiled suggestions, an essential requirement under the DSA designed to protect user privacy and prevent algorithmic exploitation.

The EU’s investigation into Temu puts it in the same regulatory spotlight as other China-based platforms such as Shein, AliExpress, and Wish, all of which have been warned for allowing the sale of unsafe products and employing manipulative design features.

In parallel, EU policymakers are also debating the removal of the €150 duty-free threshold for imported parcels. This change would hit Temu’s core business model hard, as the platform thrives on high-volume, low-cost deliveries that currently escape import taxes.

For now, Temu has a limited window to respond to the Commission’s findings before a final decision is made. 

Launched to meet the pressing need for a card scheme tailored to African markets, Verve has grown into a trusted household name, with over 85 million cards issued and presence in several African countries with an expanding consumer appeal across Africa.

Verve’s story began with a challenge; existing international card solutions struggled to meet the needs of Africa’s diverse and dynamic markets. Issues like regulatory complexity, limited infrastructure, and inconsistent connectivity posed serious barriers.

Verve responded with purpose-built solutions engineered to perform where others couldn’t, delivering stability, security, and interoperability for consumers and institutions alike.

From its roots in Nigeria, Verve has steadily expanded its reach and impact. Today, the Verve network powers millions of transactions daily across ATMs, POS terminals, web, retail outlets, online and offline platforms, while remaining grounded in its commitment to local relevance and innovation.

Now with a network of over 350 members, Verve has earned deep trust across the banking and fintech sectors. Its continued growth underscores a broader narrative: Africa is not just adopting digital payments, it’s shaping them.

Furthermore, strategic partnerships with companies like Manipal and Cardforte have enabled the production of eco-friendly Verve cards, allowing Verve to align with global sustainability goals without compromising on durability or security.

Driving Innovation and Regional Integration: Verve’s Expanding Footprint

Verve continues to evolve with the changing expectations of today’s consumers. Recognizing the growing demand for speed and convenience, the brand introduced contactless payment solution, allowing cardholders to tap-to-pay for quicker, more secure and convenient transactions.

Over 30 million Verve Contactless cards have been issued, and the contactless cards are accepted in about ninety percent terminals across Nigeria.

This feature underscores Verve’s commitment to enhancing user experience through innovation rooted in local relevance.

Breaking Barriers to Cross-Border Payments

One of Verve’s most strategic advancements in recent years is its focus on enabling seamless cross-border payments within Africa.

Through a landmark partnership with GIM-UEMOA, the regional switch for the West African Economic and Monetary Union, Verve became the first Nigerian and African card scheme integrated into a major regional payment network. This integration connects over 130 million people across eight West African countries.

With this breakthrough, Verve cardholders can now perform transactions including withdrawals from ATMs, and more, across the UEMOA region.

This dual strength, regional relevance and collaborations with global brands such as Google, Spotify, Temu, AliExpress, Uber, Facebook Ad, Netflix, amongst others, sets the card apart as a uniquely African success story in the digital payments space, with a future focused on deeper financial inclusion and continental interoperability

It is no surprise as Temu was listed in April 2025 as one of the most downloaded shopping apps worldwide with 25 million downloads.

The e-commerce platform was presented at the conference as a case study for implementing these technologies to deliver a more dynamic and engaging digital shopping experience.

Google I/O is Google’s premier annual developer conference, where the company unveils its latest products, showcases innovations across its portfolio, and shares its vision for the future of technology.

This year, the conference’s focus includes new Web UI primitives designed to simplify the development of common yet complex components—such as Carousels, Tooltips, and Drop-down menus—to create more seamless and responsive user experiences.

“Temu, the e-commerce company, has been setting the bar when it comes to applying these new primitives to their full potential,” said Paul Kinlan, lead of Chrome Developer Relations at Google I/O 2025. “The web is becoming more stylish and responsive every single day.”

Since integrating the MPA View Transitions API, Temu has seen a 10% increase in user session duration and a 15% rise in page views, according to Paul Kinlan’s presentation.

The platform has also been piloting several new APIs—including Carousels, Popover, Anchor Positioning, and Customizable Select—which have improved page performance and reduced CPU load by 10–15%, helping to lower device battery consumption and interactivity latencies.

Google also highlighted its collaboration with Temu to enable next-generation capabilities for select features.

Temu has been actively adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance customers’ digital shopping experiences.

It was one of the first developers to optimize its app for the Google Pixel Fold and integrate Android’s “dialog full-screen dim” feature, earning recognition from Google.

Temu is listed as an Editors’ Choice on the Google Play Store.

Since its debut in September 2022, Temu has rapidly expanded to over 90 markets worldwide, offering a diverse range of merchandise at highly competitive prices.

Temu was named a top Apple-recommended app of 2024 and operates one of the most visited e-commerce websites in the world.

The MoU was signed during the IACC’s 2025 Annual Conference in San Diego last week. As part of the collaboration, Temu has joined the IACC’s newly launched Marketplace Advisory Council (MAC) as an inaugural member.

The MAC is a cross-industry forum that includes leading online marketplaces, payment providers, and global brands, aimed at setting a new standard for cooperation in the fight against counterfeit goods.

“We’re pleased to welcome Temu as an inaugural member of the Marketplace Advisory Council and as a key partner in our shared fight against counterfeiting,” said Bob Barchiesi, president, International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition. “This MoU reflects a meaningful step forward in our collaboration, grounded in transparency, accountability, and a joint commitment to consumer protection. The IACC created the MAC to bring stakeholders together in a way that drives real, sustained impact—and Temu’s participation helps strengthen that vision.”

The MAC offers a collaborative platform where e-commerce platforms, payment companies, and brand owners can work together, share insights, and forge stronger partnerships to address one of the digital economy’s most persistent challenges: the proliferation of counterfeit goods online.

“Joining this coalition underscores Temu’s commitment to building a trustworthy online marketplace,” said a Temu spokesperson. “We look forward to collaborating with other industry leaders to create a powerful, collective force against the sale of illegal goods online.”

Since launching in 2022, Temu has invested heavily in intellectual property enforcement. Measures include:

• Comprehensive seller vetting and compliance training
• Round-the-clock algorithmic monitoring supported by manual review
• A dedicated IP protection portal and brand registry for streamlined takedown submissions
• An internal enforcement team handling claims with high speed and accuracy

In addition to Temu, other members of the IACC MAC include e-commerce platforms Amazon, and eBay; payments providers Mastercard, PayPal, and Visa; as well as global brands such as Apple, Chanel, Colgate-Palmolive, Disney, Ford, Johnson & Johnson, and Nike.