Economia On-demand

Brussels fines the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress 550 million euros, the highest ever imposed under the Digital Services Act, but still negligible considering it represents less than 1% of the 122 billion euros in revenue recorded in 2025 by the parent company Alibaba. All the details.

The ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union shifts the boundaries on the responsibility of platform operators and requires Google to monitor at least the content published by users with whom it has signed commercial partnerships. Agcom (which initiated the action) celebrates, while Mountain View prepares an appeal to the Council of State.

After weeks of bids, the American group Uber has secured approval from the board of the German company Delivery Hero with an offer of 41.5 euros per share. From the agreement with SSW Partners to the role of Prosus, all the details of the deal that is reshaping the global food delivery market.

Between the need to protect minors and the risk of extensive surveillance of online communications, Brussels is divided over the extension of Chat Control, the system that allows online platforms to detect and report child sexual abuse material. Facts, positions, comments, and criticisms.

The exemption for shipments under 150 euros ends: the new tariff will affect billions of e-commerce packages. Brussels aims to strengthen customs controls but already fears avoidance strategies through warehouses and logistics hubs in Europe. Excerpt from the European Morning Brief.

The AGCM has imposed a fine of 2 million euros on the Salento-based e-commerce company specializing in furniture and household items. The focus was on the countdowns that renewed under the same conditions, the calculation of discounts, and the internal documents acquired during the investigation.

Who was present and what was discussed during the presentation of the Netcomm and Nomisma research “Digital Value Chain Impact”

American Express will pay $700 million to Tripadvisor to acquire TheFork, the widely used restaurant reservation platform in Europe. Numbers, details, and objectives of the deal.

The commitments proposed by TheFork to avoid harsher penalties have been accepted and made mandatory by the Antitrust Authority. The platform will now have to make its terms of use clearer and refund users affected by a technical issue with gift cards. All the details.

Jet fuel costs more and international shipping companies have raised their rates. It is a challenging time for Chinese e-commerce businesses, whose business model is based on selling inexpensive products to almost the entire world. All the details.

After last year’s 40 million euro fine, France has imposed a new sanction on Shein exceeding 22 million euros for violations of consumer regulations and shortcomings in information regarding orders, returns, and environmental impact. All the details.

Dangerous children’s toys and defective chargers. This is what Brussels discovered by purchasing on Temu and the reason why the EU imposed a 200 million euro fine on the Chinese e-commerce giant, which could increase further. All the details.

After a challenging 2025 ending with declining revenues and a loss of 2.5 million euros, the e-commerce platform Giglio.com is launching new capital increases and focusing on artificial intelligence to reduce costs, while early signs in 2026 indicate a recovery in sales in Europe. Facts and figures.

After the €33 per share offer and contacts at €38 with some shareholders, Uber is considering a new increase in the bid. Delivery Hero is soaring on the stock market while DoorDash also continues to follow the matter, fueling the food delivery takeover battle.

To exit the administration triggered last February due to accusations of labor exploitation, Glovo-Foodinho has made several commitments towards the riders. All the details.

The legal clash between the two Chinese giants Shein and Temu has reached the High Court in London. At the heart of the dispute are alleged copyright infringements involving thousands of images, accusations of anti-competitive practices, and potential repercussions for the entire global ultra-fast fashion sector. All the details.

eBay has rejected GameStop’s purchase offer, calling it “neither credible nor attractive”: this is due to the size difference between the two companies, as well as a business model that is not perfectly overlapping. All the details.

After holding out for almost a year, selling its flagship at a loss, Nintendo has also had to give in and will raise the price of the Switch 2, just as has already happened with Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X|S. It remains to be seen if and how much the new policies will affect sales, which have been good but not as exceptional as those of the console that preceded it.

By replicating the model already adopted with the cloud, Amazon has opened its logistics network to businesses (no longer just to sellers on the e-commerce platform). Here’s how “Amazon Supply Chain Services” works and why it threatens the businesses of UPS, FedEx, DHL, and more.

GameStop wants to buy eBay for $55.5 billion. In some ways, the two companies are similar—they have struggled to adapt to new consumer habits and are focusing on collectibles—but investors are skeptical about the chances of a deal. Details and figures.

According to the Commission, there is “a large body of evidence from across the European Union indicating that about 10-12% of children under 13 access Instagram and/or Facebook.” If confirmed, the violations could lead to fines of up to 6% of annual turnover. However, Menlo Park disputes the community’s conclusions.

No longer just apartments and private homes, Airbnb is entering the territory of platforms like Booking and Expedia by also offering boutique hotels and independent properties to increase revenue. Facts, figures, and comments.

According to the AGCM investigation, Booking.com would grant participating accommodations in the Preferred Partner program and its extension, Preferred Plus, better positioning in the search results within the platform “despite the admission requirements for these programs not being sufficient to justify the benefits granted” to those hotels. All the details on the Antitrust initiative.

Netflix beats expectations on earnings but disappoints on guidance, while Reed Hastings leaves the board and the market refocuses on growth after the halt of the Warner Bros. Discovery deal. Facts, figures, and comments.

The Agcom regulation was not in compliance with European provisions, and the Lazio Regional Administrative Court has set it aside: for the moment, the adult sites Pornhub, YouPorn, and RedTube are celebrating, while the Italian regulations can still be applied to the few entities based in Italy. Europe, however, is also moving to establish similar rules to protect children.

The gaps in EU rules on Vinted allow private individuals to sell even unverified products, while the new European tax regulations increase monitoring and controls on income generated online. All the details.

The Rome Court has declared some price increases decreed by Netflix in our country to be unlawful, and has therefore ordered refunds for users. The leading video streaming company has announced that it will appeal. Meanwhile, experts are divided.

The European Commission has launched investigations into Snapchat and four pornographic platforms for violations of the Digital Services Act concerning the protection of minors, while in the United States, Meta and Google are being held responsible for harm caused by the addiction created by their platforms. Excerpt from the European Morning Briefing.

Since it was first turned on and made accessible to everyone, the Internet has always offered tons of free and easily accessible adult content, but now the EU has said “enough” and intends to require porn sites to implement age verification systems similar to those used for identification in banking or public administration apps by the end of the year. The adult film industry fears a mass exodus of customers who might feel “tracked” and points out that these measures can also be bypassed with VPNs.

The Antitrust Authority has fined the online review giant Trustpilot 4 million euros. The focus was on the lack of transparency regarding paid services and the use of deceptive interfaces to manipulate the perceived reliability of companies. All the details.

Agcom’s protection against aggressive telemarketing seems to have been breached: recently, smartphones have started ringing at all hours again due to calls from Eastern and Northern Europe. Cornered by measures that block fake Italian numbers, foreign call center operators are now using real numbers directly, which paradoxically are not being blocked. And so, people are being disturbed once again.

The record revenues of 333 million euros and golden margins at 51% of Pegaso Telematic University (Multiversity group) clash with the harsh protests of enrolled students over the poor quality of service and the additional costs deemed excessive. Facts, figures, and comments.