France riots: Stolen goods appear online in Vinted, eBay; authorities crack down
Looted goods from France riots have begun surfacing for sale on major e-commerce platforms such as Vinted and eBay following widespread weekend unrest and damage to thousands of businesses
Online platforms in France are facing scrutiny after advertisements for products allegedly stolen during recent riots and mass demonstrations began appearing for sale, prompting government intervention and meetings with tech executives.
Online platforms in France are facing scrutiny after advertisements for products allegedly stolen during recent riots and mass demonstrations began appearing for sale, prompting government intervention and meetings with tech executives.
Online platforms in France are facing scrutiny after advertisements for products allegedly stolen during recent riots and mass demonstrations began appearing for sale, prompting government intervention and meetings with tech executives.
Advertisements for the sale of products allegedly stolen during mass demonstrations and riots in France began appearing on online platforms this weekend, according to reports.
This comes as the French authorities imposed a curfew that prohibits anyone from entering or remaining on the Place de la République, where rioting took place Saturday, and the shopping neighbourhood of Les Halles, which has been subject to looting.
The French platform Vinted, which offers a space for reselling items, has begun to display these listings. However, Vinted is attempting to identify and remove listings likely to involve stolen goods, and its monitoring of suspicious listings has been strengthened, the company stated.
However, eBay said at this stage, it is not able to confirm an increase in listings that may be a result of thefts that took place this weekend. The online auction site explained that it had a specialised team using "technological tools" that identify potential fraud. Furthermore, eBay "provides law enforcement with a dedicated portal to facilitate their requests."
Over the weekend in France, more than 3,000 businesses suffered damage, and many had their shelves emptied by rioters. Since Sunday, numerous social media posts have reported suspicious ads offering brand-new, sealed products for sale, in a mix of all categories.
"Items stolen this weekend" across France "are being offered for sale on certain platforms," assured the Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, on the social network X, adding that she expected the advertisements in question to be removed "without delay."
A meeting is scheduled on Tuesday between the Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, Serge Papin, and entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, representatives of banks and insurance companies, regarding the destruction, looting and raiding at numerous sites during the demonstrations.
The French government has summoned the heads of the main social media platforms for the meeting “to analyse the situation and jointly define the actions that must be taken."
Vinted, eBay, Leboncoin, Amazon, Meta and TikTok are invited on Monday evening to discuss the procedures for removing ads that may be illegal.
Last weekend, massive demonstrations against rising fuel prices and declining purchasing power took place in Paris and across France. Organisers estimated that 800,000 people participated, while the Interior Ministry counted 550,000, double the estimate of law enforcement analysts.