China Fines Seven E‑Commerce Giants 3.6 Billion Yuan Over Food‑Delivery Safety Lapses

Overview

• China’s market regulator, which announced the action Friday, imposed 3.6 billion yuan in fines and confiscations on seven platforms including Pinduoduo, Meituan, JD.com, Taobao, Tmall and Douyin.
• Investigators said the companies let unverified or even closed restaurants take orders and failed to verify required business and food-safety licenses.
• Pinduoduo received the largest company penalty at 1.5 billion yuan, followed by Meituan at 746 million yuan and JD.com at 635 million yuan.
• Sanctions also pause the addition of new bakery merchants for three to nine months and fine legal representatives and food-safety heads a total of 19.7 million yuan.
• After the probe began, the platforms removed unlicensed virtual stores, cut ties with order-transfer services, and pledged tighter compliance as new in-person checks near.