Consumer Protection Groups Raise Concerns Over Hazardous Goods on Online Marketplaces

Despite stringent European Union regulations prohibiting the sale of unsafe products, a significant number of dangerous or non-compliant items continue to be available on popular online marketplaces serving consumers in Germany. Recent findings from the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) highlight ongoing shortcomings in the enforcement of product safety standards in the digital retail sector.

An analysis of data from November 2025 revealed that the five most frequented online platforms in Germany collectively removed nearly 70 million product listings across the EU, with close to 30 million items classified as unsafe or banned. Many of these products should not have been listed for sale under existing EU regulations, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current monitoring mechanisms.

The report emphasizes that, in numerous cases, goods subject to official safety warnings remain available for purchase online. One notable instance involved a soft toy containing hazardous levels of lead, which was listed for sale despite a longstanding warning from regulatory authorities. Such incidents underscore persistent risks to consumers and point to the need for stronger preventive measures within the e-commerce sector.

The vzbv calls for enhanced legislative frameworks at the EU level to ensure that platform operators rigorously compare product listings against official safety warnings before items are made available to the public. The organization advocates for the implementation of more frequent and comprehensive checks on both new and existing products, arguing that current protocols are insufficient to guarantee consumer safety.

The findings are based on data extracted from the transparency database established under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates platforms like Amazon, eBay, Temu, Otto, and AliExpress to disclose their decisions regarding product removals. Under the DSA, these online marketplaces are required to conduct periodic spot checks of their listings against alerts posted on Safety Gate, the European Union's rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products.

However, the analysis showed a significant gap in compliance: out of approximately 30 million products delisted in November for being unsafe or prohibited, references to Safety Gate warnings were made in only 759 cases. In around 75% of these instances, the products remained online despite the existence of an official warning, with the average warning having been issued nearly a year prior to delisting. In some cases, hazardous items such as razors with faulty adapters and insufficient insulation were available to consumers for over four years after the initial alert was published.

Consumer advocates criticize the prevailing practice of relying on retrospective, sample-based checks, which often occur only after products have already been listed for sale. They warn that this reactive approach leaves consumers exposed to risks from contaminated textiles, unsafe electronics, and other potentially harmful goods.

Online marketplaces have responded by highlighting their adherence to regulatory requirements and internal safety standards. Amazon stated its commitment to creating a secure and trustworthy shopping environment, in line with the objectives of the Digital Services Act. Temu, another major platform, indicated that it proactively removes products based on risk assessments and applies stricter internal criteria than those mandated by law. Nonetheless, the company argued that certain safety determinations require comprehensive physical testing, which is not always feasible at the digital listing stage.

These developments underscore the ongoing challenges faced by regulators and platform operators in safeguarding consumers from hazardous products in the rapidly evolving landscape of online commerce. As digital marketplaces continue to grow in scale and complexity, effective oversight and robust enforcement of product safety standards remain critical to consumer protection across the European Union.