Zalando sues EU over Meta-style legal classification

Updated on: 27 June 2023

Damien Black
Senior Journalist

Fashion platform Zalando doesn’t wish to be in the illustrious company of Google and Facebook it seems. At least not in the eyes of the EU, which it is suing for classing it alongside the tech giants under the purview of the Digital Services Act.

Today Zalando filed a corporate lawsuit against the European bloc for designating it as a “very large online platform” such as those operated by Meta and Alphabet under Article 33 of the law, which would oblige it to take stringent measures to contain “systemic risks.”

Zalando’s case will rest on the contention that, as a retail platform, it does not pose any threat of disseminating harmful third-party content, unlike the giants who own Facebook and Google.

“On the contrary, Zalando offers its customers a safe online environment with highly curated products from leading brands and established partners that are thoroughly vetted,” the company said.

It has also criticized the EU for lacking “clear and consistent methodology” to determine what constitutes a “very large platform.”

Founded in Berlin in 2008, Zalando boasts 50 million customers from 25 countries. It sells beauty products, footwear, clothing, and accessories.